Of Drugs and Love
by GreenGlaux
Summary: Sally has cancer, to pay for her bills Percy became a drug-dealer three years ago. Now he's handling job, school and Gabe until a certain grey-eyed someone comes into his life and suddenly everything starts to change... Rated T because of violence, drugs and cursing. Percabeth.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my new story and my first AU story, please enjoy it! **

**Not beta-ed **

**Not owning anything but the plot and Joe :( **

Homely Percy strolled over the streets of New York while he avoided joggers and people in suits on the side walk. Once again he was early and the sun showed him that it should be half past five since it was a little above the East River.

Again it has been impossible for him to feel just the tiniest bit of snugness in the apartment of his father, despite the fact that the first day of school was today, he didn't get a nice breakfast with pancakes and a hot cup of coffee. No; something like that he didn't get since years in the hole, which in a legal point of view was called his home.

To be exact since four years, as Percy was just thirteen years old, because in this year his life went upside down due to the cancer diagnostic of his mother, Sally Jackson.

She was the nicest and kindest person in the whole universe and she met enough evil in this world, for example her husband: Gabe.

Percy clinched his fists by the thought of his father. He was a lazy idiot and hasn't spent one penny for the woman, who cooked and cared for him over years, even as she was taken to a cancer clinic.

Until today she was there and tried to fight against her disease flat-out but new metastases showed up again and again and the doctors handed her new medication and new chemo-plans. She was strong and a rebel, just like Percy and the two of them fought their way through life by hanging on for her son and he earned the money for her stay.

The world seemed to change as Percy turned into a little side road. The houses became dirtier and more sordid while the people looked more reticent with their hands shoved deeply in their pockets and hoods pulled on their faces.

To forestall all possibilities, Percy followed their examples and slipped the marine blue hood over his raven black hair. Where this hair color came from, he didn't know either. His mother's was long and light brown and his father's (or Gabe, how he calls him and Gabe want to be called by him) had about three thin hair, which he combed across his head to appeal more charming, what is destroyed irrevocably because of his fat build and his liability to alcohol and cigarettes.

Also his sea green eyes stuck out but since his grandparents died years ago and he didn't know any other relatives, he pinned it on some ancestor who resembled him.

Finally he reached the old Chinese restaurant and turned into the alley next to it. It was a dirty, winding alley with a giant dumpster on the right side, which belonged to a little esoterism store.

Percy walked to the end of an old brick-building before he knocked on a woodened door and leant with his rear against the wall. He gazes at the dirty plaster and thought about his life. It was far from usual with such a job.

But what should he do else? His mother needed the place in this clinic otherwise she would be dead for a long time and Percy just could not let her die.

She has the right to a life and there was always a tiny chance that the cancer disappears, that she wins the fight against it.

Hope. That was his life motto, hope for a better future.

"Hey, boy," a grim voice said and Percy turned his head to the, now opened, door. Joe, my supplier stood in the door frame. Like usual he wore a tatty shirt under his long, grey coat and brown cord pants. His facial features were hard and you were not able to say what he is thinking at the moment. He had a three-day beard and thick eye circles und his foggy-blue eyes. His hair was thin and you could not decide if the color was light-brown or dark-blond.

"Morning, Joe" Percy greeted and pushed himself off the wall so that he could look in his eyes. Again and again he asked himself why Joe has such a job, actually you could imagine him in a office with a suit and a shave. A Wife and children. But apparently Joe wasn't able to quit.

He lifted his arm and tossed a plastic bag from KFC in Percy's hand before he looked in his eyes. "My money is here at six."  
Then he slammed the door shut and Percy heard how his steps got lost in his apartment. Joe never has been a man of words, if it's necessary he let speak his fists.

Sighing Percy pushed the dumpster at one side and pulled out some bricks from the front to expose a hole, which was filled with other plastic bags.

He insured himself if everything was still at place before he started to investigate the content of the new bag and dedicate it to the other bags.

Pot in the bag of In-N-Out Burger, coke in McDonalds, heroin in Burgerking, ecstasy in Taco Bell and supplies in Pizza Hut.

As he was done, he got up and walked to the other side of the dumpster so no costumer could see where he stored the dope to help oneself in the middle of the night.

He leant against the brick wall and waited for about ten minutes as the first one showed already up.

"Hey Glenn," Percy greeted with a blank expression.

The man in a sloppy grey coat fumbled with his long and scrawny fingers as his look wandered restless from one point to the other.

"Hey Jack," he answered nervously. Percy didn't tell him his real name that would only cause trouble and he most certainly did not need any trouble right now. "Do-Do you ha-have-"

Percy cut him off with a nod and rummaged in his stash in the brick wall. After a few minutes he handed him some new heroin. Glenn was a regular for Percy so he always gets the best.

Since he started this job Glenn came but over the years his appearance changed a lot.

He became skinnier, right now Percy almost could see the bones under his ailing shimmering skin and his face was shrunken while his dark eyes seemed dead and hollow.

"Here, that's seventy bucks," Percy told him. Glenn looked shocked and opened his mouth; thinking in silence.

Percy didn't feel good by doing this to him, helping him to get more addicted than he already was, but he had to focus on his mom.

"A week ago it was just fifty-"Glenn said.

Percy shrugged at him. "If you don't want it-"

"NO!" Glenn screamed and pulled a wallet out to hand Percy 70 dollar. Joe just wants fifty dollar for heroin so Percy could keep remain for his mom. Again, he wasn't proud on himself but this world is tough place.

"Here," Glenn said and Percy grabbed the money from his shaking hand to put it into a silver box. "And I need new syringes how-"  
"Thirty for ten," Percy told him and without another word Glenn handed him another sixty dollar. Percy gave him the promised syringes and Glenn crammed the stuff in his big pockets.

Percy gazed at him pitifully. What happened to this poor guy that he's heroin-addicted with twenty-four. Non-reached dreams, unfilled love, hate and frustration.

Glenn nodded again before he stumbled out of the alley.

Percy sighed. He was glad that he wasn't addicted. For him it was more than easy to get the stuff but Joe would probably kill him if he takes just one pill. Besides he couldn't. His Mom needed him; she hadn't anyone else.

**SOOOOOOOO what do you think about it? Grammar critic is welcomed because this is the first time I wrote a story first in German then translate it to English. **

**REVIEW, PLEASE! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, hello, I updated, just to let you see I can be a fast updater…**

**envelope123: Like usual I enjoyed reading your idea. You should get an account and write your own stories! Anyway I can't, I just can't… There will be a lot of drama, really _a lot_. I want to keep the characters as close to the original as possible so I decided against it but keep reviewing and telling me your ideas, they are worth a mint!**

New costumers came and went:

Carlos, who smokes pot since his friends forced him in a bet to do it on his twenty-seventh birthday.

Isabella, a forty-years-old, who does coke because her husband cheated on her and because her step-father abused her as child.

And many others; each one poorer than the last one and Percy didn't do anything but give them what destroys and controls their lives. Self-hate he felt often, even if his reasons are kindhearted, he didn't see anything of that, when he sold a bag of ecstasy to a nineteen-years-old, so he can throw an 'awesome' party with his friends.

After he has hid the hole again and the money was stored neatly in the box, Percy made his way to school.

Goode High was one of hundreds school in downtown New York but Percy liked it. Only there, tortured by teachers, annoyed by girls who were hitting on him, surrounded by his best and only friends Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo, he could forget his troubles at home with Gabe.

Thalia and Nico were like siblings to him. Percy met them in middle school and they became friends immediately. They knew about his Mom and don't give him pitiful looks like anyone else, just serious advices for making money.

Of course he didn't tell them about his job. They would be in danger if Percy quits someday and he's really looking forward to that tough he had no idea if it's easy to quit such a job.

Percy turned in another street and the school came in his view. A pretty big brick building surrounded by greens and a gigantic football field.

He stepped on the lot of the school and took a deep breath before he disappeared between the laughing and running students who tried to find their friends. He fought his way to the entrance just to be dragged into a bigger chaos, which is formally known as school halls.

Small groups blocked his way to the office where he had to pick up his schedule. From time to time Percy lifted his head to look for Nico and Thalia, even if he had little hope to see them so early.

The two of them were cousins and, since their fathers rule a big company together with their third brother and other relatives, they lived together by their own in a luxurious apartment opposite of Central Park.

Percy spent most of his free time there because the other option would be going 'home' to Smelly Gabe and no sane human creature would do this voluntary.

He scrambled through a crowd of freshmen as he suddenly saw a glimpse of familiar black hair and spotted Nico in front of his locker.

With a smirk he pushed through the people toward him. He tried to terrify his friend but as he stood a half inch behind him, Nico turned around.

"You are as quiet as an Elephant."

Percy rolled his eyes. "A hello to you too, Nico. Where's Thals?"  
Nico huffed. "After a discussion about a bath room, we drove to school in an awkward silence, but then -thanks to God- she was picked by Mrs. Dellas to show around some new girl. Didn't you hear her scream 'NICO DI ANGELO I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!' as I ran away so I must not help around."

Percy laughed at Nico and Thalia's relationship. They teased each other like every minute of every day but somehow they loved each other too, deep _deep _down in their hearts.

While Nico kept complaining about Thalia, Percy and him got their schedules and they had even time to put Percy's stuff into his locker before they had to go to their first class.

Thalia didn't have this class with them and Percy's next class was marine biology so he would see her in third period which they had all together: English.

They sat down in the back row and as Mrs. Dodds started to talk about linear functions Percy heard how Nico murmured next to him: "I think I just discovered hell."

Percy chuckled and Mrs. Dodds turned her attention to them.

"Mr. Jackson, Mr. di Angelo could you stop talking and instead you could answer our question," she pointed at the board where something was written down none of them could read.

Percy, Nico and also Thalia are dyslexic. There's no chance for one of them to read Mrs. Dodds' flourish-handwriting and definitely not from the back row.

"We will," Nico said. "If you write like an adult and stop writing like a toddler."

Some girls giggled and boys chuckled at Nico's comment but Percy just frowned. He didn't like it when Nico acts like that. Being disrespectful isn't a good character attribute; Percy knows this best. As he was younger and his mother still healthy, he was just like Nico now but as his mother was sent in hospital he changed. He understood that it's useless to be disrespectful, that he just would get himself into more trouble and he couldn't afford this anymore.

And that Nico acted so he didn't like either. Nico is for Percy just like a little brother and since he barely sees his father; Percy felt responsible for him.

He looked at his friend and shook his head, Nico sighed: "Sorry, Mrs. D."

Mrs. Dodds just rolled her eyes. "Maybe you two should sit in the front row with your dyslexic."

Percy didn't felt like sitting in the front but he wanted to be a role model for Nico so he grabbed his stuff and walked to the front. Next to him Nico slammed down, grumbling curses.

"Okay, let's continue-"

Percy zoned out until the bell rang and Nico and he walked outside in the hall. He should listen in class but he couldn't. Blame the ADHD. He wasn't a person who could keep still for long time, he needed to move.

They strolled down the hall until their ways separated since Nico had drama class with Thalia now and Percy marine biology. Nico just lifted his hand as farewell.

Probably he was still mad at Percy for dragging him in the front row and that they couldn't speak for the whole class.

Percy sighed and hoped that Nico would be a better human than him.

Marine biology pasted slowly but some how Percy managed it to survive and was on his way to English as suddenly a girl appeared next to him. A girl he knew, unfortunately.

"Hey Percy, honey," she squealed and twirled a strand of her long, brown hair around her finger.

"Drew," Percy responded with a disgusting tone in his voice.

"My name sounds even more beautiful when you say it," Drew showed him her shining-white teeth.

"Really? Because it tastes like vomit," Percy told her and for a moment Drew stopped smiling but as they entered the class she started laughing like Percy just made a good joke.

As reaction he rolled his eyes but as he spotted the others, he started to smile and walked towards them.

"Hey guys," Percy greeted but stopped as he saw Thalia talking with a beautiful girl. She had long curly blond hair and her skin was tanned. She looked like a typical Californian, just her eyes protruded. A mix of all grey tones. Deep and like stormy clouds they twirled in her iris.

"Hey Percy," Thalia smiled. She was a real punk chick with black hair and thousand of band t-shirts. Today she wore one of her favorite band: Green day.

"Pinecone face," Percy hugged her sisterly and sat down next to Nico who still looked angry.

"Oh come on Nic. Don't be angry you know it's useless to be disrespectful in school." he told Nico and he sighed before he shot him a smile.

"So Percy, this is Annabeth. She's new," Thalia introduced Percy to the pretty blonde.

He smiled goofily at her and reached out his hand. "Percy Jackson."

Annabeth grinned and took his hand. "Yup I heard some stories from Thals over here."

Percy laughed. "I hope not the bad ones."

Thalia made a face. "There are stories which aren't bad?"

Everyone laughed as Percy nudged Thalia.

"Are you a couple or something like that?" Annabeth asked her voice a little too dismissive. Percy smirked. "You care?"

"You wish." she replied before Thalia responded.

"No we are not. We are like siblings."

"Yup," Percy agreed with her right in the moment as Mr. Blofis entered the room.

"Good morning class, nice to see you again and I also recognize some new faces." he looked at Annabeth who smiled back.

"Well then let's start with our loved theme: Shakespeare."

The whole class groaned at the same moment, except of Annabeth whose eyes were glued at Mr. Blofis.

Percy chuckled. "You're drooling."  
She looked at him and stuck her tongue out. "Shut up."

Just then Percy knew they would be great friends.

**So of course REVIEW!**

**Secondly REVIEW!**

**Thirdly, ehm, not beta-ed so grammar and spelling errors are included, sorry.**

**Fourthly REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So another chapter! I'm proud that I update so often :)**

**Well here you meet Sally and I feel really guilty to let her have cancer. She is to kind to have cancer…**

**Still I hope you like it**

**Disclaimer: Do not own PJO.**

"So where are you from, Annie?" Percy asked at lunch.

They sat in the back of the cafeteria at their own table. It was loud and everywhere were excited freshmen who tried to find a seat, but didn't dare to sit down on tables where seniors are sitting.

Percy smiled as he remembered how he started here, not long ago. Thalia just sat down on this table and glazed at the other students until they left.

Annabeth shot him an angry glare. "Don't call me Annie."

"Okay." he said. "_Annie_."  
She rolled her eyes and threw a tomato at him but Percy was drug-dealer he had handled worse. He dodged away and smirked at Annabeth who nodded crediting.

"Don't call me Annie, Seaweed Brain." she said.

"Seaweed Brain?" Percy raised an eyebrow while Thalia and Nico cracked up.

"I like the nickname, kelp head," Thalia laughed and Nico nodded in agreement.

"Oh shut up, pinecone face," Percy replied annoyed and they laughed even harder.

"Oh, am I mocking you, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth smirked.

"Shut it, Wise Girl."

"Wise Girl? Wow that's lame," Annabeth snickered.

"But it still does annoy you," Percy smirked at her and got up.

Annabeth rolled her eyes but also grabbed her stuff, right in the second as the bell rang.

"Are you two coming?" she asked Thalia and Nico who kept laughing.

Together they walked down the hall to their next period as Thalia turned to Annabeth.

"Hey, Annie, today we-"she started but Percy interrupted them already.

"What, she's allowed to say Annie but I'm not?" he scrambled between them.

"Exactly." Annabeth smirked. "Seaweed Brain."  
Percy rolled his eyes while Thalia snickered with a knowing smile.

"Anyway I was going to ask you if you want to come with us to the mall this afternoon," Thalia invited her and Annabeth smiled.

"Sure, who do you mean with 'us'?" she asked.

"The gang," Thalia explained smiling, "Nico, you, Perce and me."

Annabeth smiled and nodded as Percy turned to Thalia. "I can't, you know why."

Thalia's eyebrows scrunched together as she remembered that Percy was going to visit his mother in hospital today. She sighed. "Try to follow."

Percy nodded as his thoughts wandered to his mother once more. His beautiful, kind mother, who is the last person on this earth deserving to lie in hospital. He sighed and pushed the thought away as they entered their next class.

Thalia and Annabeth sat down in front of them while Nico and Percy preferred the back row. School sucks if you are dyslexic and ADHD, Percy thought. He barely recognized the words on chalkboard and he knew Nico, Thalia and also Annabeth felt the same because all of them eyed the board for a few seconds before they shook their head slightly and turned their attention to something else. Since History wasn't very important to Percy, he thought about his life and, even if he tried to avoid it, Annabeth kept sneaking in his thoughts.

He didn't know why but Percy liked that girl; she wasn't like the others who partly drooled over the floor he was walking on, for example Drew.  
And even if Percy didn't say it aloud, she was also much more beautiful than Drew ever could be. With her princess curls and these eyes. Grey.

"Perce?" Nico waved his hand in front of his friend, "Earth to Percy. Period ended five minutes ago, are you coming or what?"  
Percy shook his head and put a smile on as he got up from his seat and grabbed his backpack before he walked out of the room.

Thalia and Annabeth waited for them since Nico was coming also to the mall. The four of them started to stroll to the entrance.

"So we are going to the mall," Nico said and Thalia rolled her eyes: "No, duh."  
"And you-"Nico looked at Percy who gazed at the floor.

"Try to follow." Percy finished his sentence and shot a short glare to Annabeth who raised an eyebrow but kept quiet.

They walked to the next period while Percy thought about the other reason, he couldn't come. He had a job to do.

The afternoon was always busier.

Scrawny, skinny and pitiful looking men and women came into Percy's alley and paid high prizes for drugs which only pulled them deeper in a hole, but he couldn't help them. He had his own problems to fix and that's why he's standing here.

At six, he closed his business and collected the money before he gave it to Joe. He recounted it and nodded at Percy to say that it was enough for this day.

Percy grabbed his stuff and walked back on the side walk to head to the next bus station. It took just twenty minutes to reach Manhattan hospital and Percy couldn't hide the smile on his face as he entered the building.

Some nurses smiled at him as he took the elevator to the third floor. He was often here, at least three times a week so he had enough time to talk to the staff.

He opened the blue door and entered a bright room with one bed. A woman lay in it; she had brown long hair and a kind face. She smiled at him and Percy gave her a warm smile back.

"Hey, Mom. How are you?" he asked and plopped on the chair beside her bed.

"Everything is alright, I think," she looked at him and Percy felt immediately comfortable.

His mother had this effect on people. She just had to smile and everybody had to smile back at her. Percy missed her at home, especially if he had to be alone with Smelly Gabe.

"And how was school today?" she asked and her brown eyes gleamed warmly.

Percy didn't even notice the smile on his face, until his mother lifted an eyebrow. A blush crept up his cheek while he thought about Annabeth.

"Aha," his mother smiled, "Who is she?"  
Percy shifted his weight. He loved his mom, sure, but still he didn't talk about girls with her. Thalia is the only exception but she is like a sister to him and not like a crush. Not that he had a crush on Annabeth or something like that.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked innocently.

His mother grinned knowingly. "You don't want to tell me, huh? I can understand that but still- did you make friends with someone today?"  
Percy smiled, she always find a way to get him talk. "Yeah, actually I met a girl today. Thalia had to show her around this morning and I met her in English."

Sally nodded. "And do you like her?"  
"She's okay, I guess," Percy answered her.

"What do you mean with _okay_?" she asked him innocently.

"I don't know- she's smart, pretty and has attitude."

"Pretty, huh? Someone has a crush, I think," his Mom chuckled and Percy rolled his eyes as he couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks.

"Jeez, Mom, I just met her today," Percy whined but Sally knew it better.

After a while of silence, she looked at her son. "And how's Gabe doing?"

Percy rolled his eyes. Even now she cared for this pig, she deserved better, but he answered her, tough, "He's fine, playing poker, eating and drinking beer. Like always."  
Mom nodded satisfied before she smirked for another time. "Let's talk about this girl again."  
"Mom," Percy whined and hid his red cheeks, "Can't we talk about Thals and Nico?"

She sighed, "Fine. How are the two?"

"Great if you ignore the fact that they almost killed each other over vacation," Percy smiled. He loved the two of them, "And right now they are in the mall with Annabeth."  
"Annabeth?" his Mom smirked, "That's her name?"

Percy groaned, noticing his mistake. "Yeah, that's her name."

Sally turned to him. "And what are you doing here, if you can hang out with her?"  
"I'm visiting you, like always," Percy crossed his arms.

She sighed and Percy saw that she hid something from him. "But Percy you should spend more time with your friends; you are too often here."

Percy gulped, looking a little disappointed. "You don't want me around?"

"No!" she glared at him with sad eyes. "Percy I love it when you are here, don't get me wrong, but I want you to live your life. Without me as burden."

Percy gazed at her. "Mom, you aren't a burden."  
She sighed. "Yes, Percy, I am. I know you don't see this and I know you love me just like I love you, but I know that you have to work hard for paying the bills. And don't say Gabe would pay something."

Percy glared at her; he didn't know what to say. His mother saw herself as burden in the life of her son. She never has spoken like this. She always seemed to enjoy his visits, never looked sad or something like that. Percy didn't understand why she changed her mind suddenly.

"Mom…" he started but his throat was dry.

"Percy, I love you but please go in the mall and have fun with your friends now," she smiled at her son.

"You really want me to do this?" he asked.

She nodded and grabbed his hand to squeeze it one time. "Yes, I really want this and now go!"

Percy grinned and grabbed his coat. He kissed his Mom's forehead. "See you."

She smiled and nodded as Percy walked in the hall but before he exited the room he could see how her face became a sad frown.

**Please review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**I know this chapter is short and kinda not necessary, but it belongs to the story and you can see the relationship between Annabeth and Percy at the beginning, and I promise I will update tomorrow :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, just Joe and the plot**

"Hey Thals, are you still in the mall?" Percy pressed the cell phone tighter to his ear as he headed down the street.

"Nope, we are in our apartment," Thalia answered him and Percy huffed quietly. Nico and she called it always 'apartment' but it was definitely more than just an apartment.

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes," Percy told her and she gave back an "Okay, okay." before she hung up.

Percy headed down the streets thinking about his Mom. Why did she change suddenly? He knew it wasn't because she didn't like his visits, but he also knew that there was more. Deep inside of him, he had a presentiment, but he shook his head and entered the apartment building.

With his eyes fixed on the floor, he walked in the elevator and pressed the first button. Soon he stood in front of a wooden door and slipped out a key.

Thalia and Nico handed him one, the last time he stood unheralded in front of the door nights. His hand shot to his shoulder as he remembered that night but he just shrugged it off and opened the door.

"Hello? Someone here?" Percy yelled in the apartment as he put away his coat and walked along the hall.

The apartment, Nico and Thalia were living in, was a penthouse in Manhattan. It was the biggest penthouse, Percy has ever seen. It had six rooms, a kitchen, a living room, twice as big as the apartment he grew up in, and a giant bathroom.

"We are in the living room, Perce!" Nico yelled back and Percy walked in the bright room. The back wall was one giant window and you could see Central Park and Manhattan's skyline in the background. On the left side was an open-kitchen with a big metal fridge and counters while a table separated kitchen from living room.

On the right side hung a flat screen on the wall and opposite one of the black leather couch stood. Nico lay on it while the other one, in front of the window was taken by Annabeth and Thalia.

"What's up?" Percy asked with a grin and plopped down next to Nico.

"The sky," he told him and Percy rolled his eyes. He gazed at the TV, in his hands a coke and on the table chips bags.

"Where were you?" Annabeth asked and pulled her legs on the soft couch. Thalia and Nico exchanged a glare and suddenly she looked guilty. "Oh you don't have to tell me. It's okay. I'm sorry."  
Percy just nodded as his thoughts wandered back to his Mom but then he turned to Annabeth whose cheeks were bright pink. "You don't have to be sorry, I'll tell you someday just- just not now."  
He smiled at her and Annabeth had to smile back before they turned back to TV.

Percy really loved to spend time with his friends even if they were doing something like watching movies.

It was almost like he's normal; a normal teenager hanging around with his friend in front of the TV. Sometimes Percy even wished he could be like that but his past always caught up to him. This 'past' was unfortunately also his present. His big, lazy and ugly present sitting on the couch and smoke.

The time passed too fast and soon Percy stood in the hall together with his friends. Nico and Thalia shot him several times worried looks while Annabeth just grabbed her coat. Percy had to smile sadly at her. She was so innocent. She never did something bad and wrong.

She was pure.

And that's something which is very rare in Percy's life.

Quickly he hugged Thalia and ruffled Nico's hair before he exited the apartment together with Annabeth.

"So where do you live?" Percy asked to make some conversation as they walked down the stairs of the luxurious apartment house, Thalia and Nico lived in. Percy felt always a little sad when he had to leave this house. It was the only place on this earth, he felt safe since his mother was in hospital.

"Not far away. Just four blocks away from here together with my parents and my twin brothers," she told him and Percy was surprised by her candor, but he felt now a little pushed to tell her about his life and he definitely didn't want to tell her about his life, especially his father.

"And you?" she asked him as they stepped into the cool breeze of New York.

It was still bright but the sun wasn't shining. White and fluffy clouds hung over the City and the branches bowed in the wind while the taxi cabs drove loudly on the streets.

Percy gazed at Central Park right in front of him as Annabeth looked at her feet. "I have to walk a little but it's okay. Technically I live by my own."

Annabeth eyes peered in him. "What do you mean by 'technically'?"

Percy turned to her and their eyes locked for a moment. In this moment he was sure that Annabeth knew, he was hiding a lot from her. That his problems were bigger than she ever could imagine but that he wasn't ready to tell her yet.

She sighed. "You are very mysterious, Seaweed Brain. It's hard to read in your expression."  
Percy smirked. "Someday, you may read me like a book, Wise Girl."

He didn't know yet, that this sentence was more than true.

**Sorry if you are disappointed but I'm going to update tomorrow, I swear! The next chapter includes hard violence so you are prepared… **


	5. Chapter 5

**So here is the promised chapter. **

**It includes violence and cursing so please be prepared and everything. This is fiction, everything. I have no experience with drugs or drug dealing (watched some documentaries and did research), neither I have experience with abuse. Just to get things here straight. **

**Disclaimer: Still not owning PJO, unfortunately.**

Days, weeks and months had past and the situation with his mother was getting stranger from day to day. She has prohibited Percy to visit her oftener than two times a week and when he's visiting, then just for two hours. Before that he was there four times and then sometimes for the whole afternoon until he had to set his things and go working.

Work was running good. Percy made a lot of money since he got new costumers. They came to him after their last drug-dealer was addicted by himself and Joe fired him immediately. He told Percy that he was lucky just to be fired and gazed at him like he was sending him a warning but Percy ignored it; he wasn't addicted, he saw where it ended daily.

"Are you even listening, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth snapped in front of Percy's face.

He looked at her, "Sure I'm always listening."

She laughed while they kept walking through the snow-covered Central Park with hot coffee cups in their hands.

Even though Percy tried to avoid it, he made friends with Annabeth. To be exact she was his best friend. Of course they often hung out with Thalia and Nico but since he wasn't with his Mom all days, he had much more free time and this he spent with Annabeth. And he enjoyed her company, every time they were talking he felt like he hadn't his whole problems.

A strong wind blow through Annabeth's golden curls and Percy had to admit in the moonlight, she looked beautiful. Her grey eyes sparkled and her lips touched the streaming coffee while her gaze was fixed on the near ending of the path they were walking on.

"Thanks for inviting me," she said and smiled shortly at Percy who had to smile back. "I swear at home the tension is so thick I could cut it with a knife."  
Percy had been at Annabeth's house several times for learning or to pick her up and he knew Annabeth's situation. It may be not to compare with Percy's but she still had a tough time at home.

Frederick Chase, Annabeth's father, has moved here because his wife, and Annabeth's Mom, died in a car crash. It was a shock for both of them but now five months later they got over it. Annabeth's Dad got over it that good that he started dating a new woman and like it was not enough, he asked her to move in with them.

Annabeth didn't hate the woman but she was shocked about the fact that her father just needed a few months to get over a marriage and the dead of his first big love.

"I mean Susan is okay but I feel like Dad just tried to fill the whole Mom left," Annabeth said like she would have followed Percy's thoughts. "And that's not a good base for a relationship."

Percy nodded. "But maybe he is in love with her."

She sighed, taking another nip of her coffee, "Maybe."

They stopped as they reached the street. Immediately both of their heads turned to the luxurious apartment building on the opposite side of the street. The golden framed entrance was shimmering in the light of the streetlights and Percy smiled at the thought of Nico and Thalia up there, probably lying lazily on the couch and watching TV.

He turned to Annabeth who smiled also before she sighed and looked to the left side, the way to her house which was just a few streets away.

"I think I have to go," she said and looked sadly at Percy. "Thanks for listing to me whine."

Percy chuckled. "I do this all days long, so-"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder playfully. "So I see you tomorrow at school."  
Percy smiled at her and nodded. "See you tomorrow."  
She was about to walk as she turned around another time and hugged Percy tightly. He was surprised but put his arms around her, wrapping her in his warmth. In one hand he still held the coffee and he wished he had dumped it like Annabeth before. Too soon for his taste she pulled away and smiled a small smile before she turned around again and walked down the street without another word.

Percy watched her disappearing behind a corner before he turned around by himself, dumped the coffee cup and started to head to the apartment of his father- or with other words, headed to hell.

"I WON, you ass!" a loud voice cried as Percy stepped in the apartment, he was living in.

He didn't call it 'his apartment' since it belonged to Gabe Ugliano. Percy's Dad.

He hated him from the bottom of his heart. He was lazy, ugly and the worst father in this world and Percy never ever called him Dad. Since he knew he called his own father, Gabe and he was fine with it.

Percy tried to reach his room but Gabe has already noticed him.

"Hey, boy!" he yelled and Percy clinched his fist. Sometimes he asked himself if his father even knew his name.

"What is it, Gabe?" Percy stepped in the living room.

Like the rest of the apartment it looked like a dumping ground. You barely could see the wooden floor under the different types of cigarette boxes, vodka bottles and other wrappings. The smell of rotting food and alcohol would make you throw up if you aren't used to it, like Percy.

A small table stood in the middle of the room, behind it a couch and some chairs which were taken by the ugly friends of Percy's father.

"Gimme your money, boy, I've just lost two hundred," he babbled since he was drunk like usual.

"No," Percy replied and was about to turn around as a hand grabbed the back of his coat.

Gabe was faster than people would expect after their first view of the fat and greasy, fourty-years old, he is.

In less than a second Percy was pinned against the yellow-spotted wall and could glare Gabe in his tiny pig eyes. The smell of alcohol made Percy a little dizzy but he tried to glare back.

"This word isn't aloud here, okay?" Gabe said before burped right in Percy's face.

Percy couldn't stand it anymore. Usually he just let it go through because of his Mom but he couldn't. This was too disgusting.

He spat right in Gabe's face which turned seconds after it scarlet. "Did you just spat at me?"

Percy gazed in his eyes.

"You little bastard!" he yelled and grabbed the nearest vodka bottle. He banged it against the wall so near Percy's head that he could feel glass trickle in his ear.

"Jonny, Mike, grab him," he told his friends. The two of them knew the situation and they also knew if Gabe wouldn't punish Percy, he would punish them so they grabbed each of Percy arms and pressed his chest against the wall.

Soon Percy could feel the glass scarify in his back and the warm feeling of blood running down. He pressed his lips together and tried to hold back the scream in his throat.

"You-"he stuttered.

"Yes, boy?" Gabe asked as he pressed the glass bottle deeper in Percy's flesh.

"- schmuck.**(*)**"

"Listen, you bastard." Gabe hissed and made another wound in Percy's back. "You know why you are here?"

Percy thought of his Mom who really loved Gabe though he was an idiot but Gabe's inflection made him listen closer.

"It's not because of Mommy. It's because of Daddy, don't you want to know your Dad?"

He pulled the glass bottle out of the blood streamed rear and Percy fell on his knees. He looked up to Gabe smirking down on him.

Gabe wasn't his father? For a moment Percy felt relieved but then the pain took over again. His vision became blurry.

"Oh, Sally never told you?" he asked with a grin. "My wonderful genes are not in something like you. Your father is somewhere outside of this apartment and I could tell you where but what would I get from this?"

He started to laugh heartily and fell back on his couch while Percy started to pull himself to the front door. He grabbed the handle still on his knees and crawled in the hall.

He leant against the wall and tried to calm down. He can't sleep outside here. Gabe would find him and torture him even more.

His mind was dizzy and he tried to get on his feet but he had to take hold of the wall while he started to walk down the stairs.

Gabe wasn't his father. Percy knew it. They never looked in any way similar to each other and it was impossible to hate his father, like Percy hates Gabe. But where was his real father, then? Why didn't he search for Percy?

Suddenly he was mad at his real father, who didn't care for him. Who didn't want to know him.

Percy stumbled down the streets he went on an hour before. Dim light filled the streets and he tried to concentrate on his own feet while he leaned onto house walls.

He dragged himself to Central Park and headed into the biggest of the apartment building.

With shaky hand he unlocked the door in the highest floor. Percy stumbled in the apartment and yelled after Nico and Thalia.

He heard how two pairs of feet neared him and noticed how the light in the hall was turned on before darkness surrounded him and he fell on the floor.

*** Funny in German "schmuck" means jewelry, lol. Imagine I'd tell you: "Hey your ehm schmuck is very pretty."**

**So the grammar in this chapter may suck. I don't know, it just sounds weird to me at many points… I hope you don't mind too much.**

**And now since you are here and everything, what about leaving a review? Just an idea plopping in my mind :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, my dear readers another chapter for you :) and thanks for all your reviewing and adding. It's always overwhelming to check my emails and see that so many have added or reviewed my story! Thanks a lot!**

Bright light hit his still shut eyes and Percy was pulled back in reality.

"Percy, wake up. We need to talk before the doctor gets here," a voice said and Percy still dizzy mind tried to order it in.

He tried to move as pain took over and he opened the mouth wide but the scream stuck it to his throat. His hands shot to his rear and he felt soft bandages wrapped tightly around his torso but he also felt dry blood.

"Don't move. It just will start to bleed again, kelp head," suddenly the memories started to flow over him again and Percy opened his eyes to see Nico and Thalia looking down on him. In their eyes worry and pain to see their best friend, tattered like that.

"Morning," Percy croaked. His voice sounded strange to him; rough, like it wasn't used in eons.

"What happened?" Nico asked him harshly. Percy knew he didn't want to be harsh; he just needed to know what or rather who was done something like that to his oldest friend.

"And don't tell us, this happened accidentally. Like last time," Thalia crossed her arms and sat down next to Nico on their little coffee table in the middle of the living room.

Percy tried to sit up on the leather couch but he couldn't. He was too exhausted.

He remembered the last time he came to them; in the middle of the night and with a big cut on his shoulder. It was painful but not as painful as now.

Back then he told Thalia and Nico it was accident. He was swimming and hurt him or something like that. He couldn't remember completely since he was full with painkillers.

This time they obviously didn't give him anything so that he had to explain the situation.

He played with the thought of telling them another lie but decided against it. They wouldn't believe it anyway.

"Gabe," he said trying to get a rid of the strangeness in his voice.

Thalia frowned while Nico raised an eyebrow at him. "Your father?"

Another memory fought its way into Percy's mind. Gabe wasn't his father. He never has been; he never will be.

But Percy nodded since Thalia and Nico just know him as Percy's real father. "He did this to me with his poker buddies and a vodka bottle. The wound on my shoulder is also his fault."  
Nico and Thalia silenced, gazing shocked at Percy.

"He abused you?" Thalia asked silently.

"Since my Mom's in hospital. You remember the black eye I tried to cover with your make-up? Or as I broke my leg? Or as I had a concussion?" he told them and Nico opened his mouth but didn't say anything while Thalia looked taken back.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Nico asked finally.

Percy tried to shrug but it ended as a wince because of the pain. "What could you do?"  
"We can call the police," Thalia sat and pulled out her cell phone.

"Don't you think I would have already called if I had this option?" Percy asked her and she let the phone sink.

"Why can't we call the police?" Nico asked tensed.

"Because Mom's hospital place is running over Gabe's name, if he will be arrested, and he will be arrested if the police know, they will kick out Mom and with the cancer in a state like hers, it's impossible to get a new place with the little money I make," Percy explained. "That's why we won't call the police, that's why we won't drive to hospital and we won't call a doctor."

"Too late," Nico said while Thalia let the words and the fact that she can't do anything Gabe sink.

"Then call him not to come anymore," Percy argued but Thalia shook her head.

"No way," she said. "These are serious wounds. You need a doctor and it's just Doctor Apollo, Percy."  
Doctor Apollo was one of doctors who worked in the company, the fathers of Nico and Thalia were running. Percy met him before on a company meeting of them and since Nico and Thalia hate it to be with their family, they invited him too. The company was big and rich.

Thousands of people were working for Olympus Company but what they are doing exactly Percy has never understood. They did a kind of travel business with air travel, water travel and underground travel but Thalia said they did a lot more and that their costumers are all over the world.

"He will be here in about twenty minutes," Nico said and got up. "Do you want water?"

"Don't you have to be in school?" Percy frowned at the clock over the open-kitchen.

"Just like you must be in school?" Thalia shot back with a small smile on her lips.

Percy sighed. They wouldn't go. That's something Percy hated but also loved about his friends, if they made a decision; you aren't able to tell them otherwise.

Suddenly Green Day's holiday started to play and Percy turned to Thalia who mumbled something and pulled out her cell phone.

"It's Annabeth," she said checking the callers ID. Thalia looked at Percy. "Do you want to tell her?"

He shook his head. He's not going to get Annabeth in this involved. "But answer her call. She will be upset if you ignore her."  
Thalia nodded and pushed a button so Nico and Percy could hear also. Immediately Annabeth's voice, angry and annoyed, boomed through the cell phone and Percy could see how Nico winced in front of the fridge.

"Thalia where are you? Where is Percy?" she almost yelled. "I cannot reach him and haven't seen him in school until now. Why aren't you at school?"  
Thalia sighed. "We have some kind of family emergency, right now."  
Annabeth silenced for a moment. "Is Percy also there?"  
Thalia looked at him, but Percy shook his head, supposing that she would recognize from his voice how weak and hurt he was.

"Yes, he's here," Thalia told her.

"But you aren't related!" Annabeth said frustrated and Percy could imagine how she stood on the school yard and clomped her foot because she didn't get something.

It would be certainly cute to see her so upset.

"I know, I know," Thalia sighed, searching for an excuse. "But his father and the person this family emergency is about were close friends, okay?"

"Gabe has friends?" Annabeth huffed and Percy smirked as he closed his eyes, too exhausted for anything.

Thalia chuckled. "I also do not know, how he managed that."  
"Died somebody?" Annabeth asked carefully.

Thalia looked around like Nico would give her an answer but he just carried a bottle of water to Percy and shrugged.

"No," Thalia sighed stressed out. "Just-" The door bell rang in the background and Thalia shot a glare to Nico who nodded and walked in the hall to answer the door.

"Annabeth I really can't talk right now, there is a problem." she told Annabeth but before she could say something, Thalia hung up.

"This was tight," she sighed and Percy nearly cracked up, since she has already problems wth one single lie and tough they don't know, to them, Percy's whole life is a lie. Just because of this job- Percy heart stopped for a second and his eyes widened in shock.

"Thalia can you give me my cell phone?" he asked nervously.

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow as suddenly voices were heard in the hall. Doctor Apollo laughed and Nico answered but Percy was too weak to concentrate on them too.

"Please, I need it. Don't ask why," he pleaded and Thalia sighed before she handed him a blue smart phone which lay on the kitchen counter.

"Ehm, could you keep away Apollo for a while?" Percy smiled innocently at her and Thalia sighed again before she exited the living room and Percy was alone.

He clinched the cell phone in his hand before he started to dial the number. It rang a few times before the phone was picked up and Percy heard mechanical noises in the background.

"Boy," Joe's voice said. "Is it you?"  
He never called Percy with his name. He just said 'boy'.

"Yes," Percy answered carefully. He waited for Joe to explode and yell at him for not coming to work this morning but he stayed calm, probably he had situations like that before.

"What happened?" Joe asked Percy.

He sighed. "Well I got beaten up."  
Joe silenced. "How long will you be missing?"  
"You don't sound surprised," Percy stated.

Joe didn't say anything and Percy decided to drop this theme instead of get yelled. "I don't know, probably a week."  
Joe sighed. "Okay, I will ask for substitute. Get well soon, boy."  
He hung up and Percy immediately erased the call from the list as he put the cell phone in his pants which were lying on the table. For a moment he gazed at the ceiling and thought about the fact that he was free for a week. _Feels like vacation_, he thought, _even tough my back is tattered._ He was pulled back into reality as the door burst open and a man with shiny white teeth stood in the frame, grinning at Percy and behind him Thalia and Nico. He walked into the room in his shirt and black pants; in his left hand a big bag.

"A sunny hello to you Percy!" he cried happily.

Percy looked at him. "Hello Doctor A."

"No smile?" Apollo asked as he started to place his utensils on the table after he has pushed off Percy's clothes to the floor. Nico leant against the door frame watching the scenery while Thalia sat on a chair as Apollo turned Percy around carefully. He groaned because of the pain which started to overwhelm him.

"Ew it starts to bleed," Apollo said with slight disgust in his voice. Percy huffed as answer.

He unwound the bandages from his torso and with water he cleaned the wounds before he started to look at them with a concentrated expression.

Percy knew he was wiggy but he was still one of the best doctors around the globe. Thalia and Nico told him that in India people said he was a god of medicine but sometimes he's just plain strange in the most appropriate situations.

"I'd be really interested how you got these very deep wounds," he said with concern as he grabbed needle and thread.

Percy didn't answer. It was none of Apollo's business to know how his step-Dad was handling him. His eyes widened in shock as this memory showed up in the back of his mind again. Gabe Ugliano wasn't his father. Somewhere outside of these walls was a man who was his real father and even tough Percy didn't know him yet, he preferred his already to Gabe.

He felt the need to talk to Nico and Thalia rising but he stifled it.

Every time Apollo made a stitch, Percy winced in pain and at the end of this torture; he was biting the black pillow on the leather couch.

"So I'm ready with the deepest wound and for the others will suffice a strong salve," Apollo said and Percy wanted to yell at his because he could hear how this bastard was still smiling while he was going through hell. "As for the pain-"

He turned around and burrowed in his bag. "I will hand you some painkillers. Take three pills a day and I'm writing you exemption for school. A week it will take before you can walk painless."  
Percy nodded and turned himself around while Apollo handed Thalia everything. She smiled and led him to the door after Nico and Percy said their good-byes and thank-yous.

As soon as the door closed Percy gazed at Nico. "Gabe isn't my father."  
Nico's eyes widened in shock and plopped down on the table to look at his friend closer.

"You mean-"he trailed off confusedly.

"Yes, he's my step-father," Percy told him as Thalia entered the room again.

Nico repeated the story excitedly and Thalia looked for a moment overwhelmed as she plopped down next to him. She looked at Percy with a huge smile and patted his shoulder lightly like he has won some competition.

They kept quiet for a moment before Thalia asked the question that crossed her mind first after this good news. "Then what about your real Dad?"  
Percy looked out of the window which covered the entire wall of the living room.

"Gabe said he'd be somewhere here in New York."

Nico frowned. "So and what are you going to do now? Hang up some notes?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Of course not. We don't even know how he looks like."

"Well what do you want to do else?" Nico asked and Percy sighed desperately.

"It's easy," he said. "We are going to ask the only person who's able to give me information and an explanation for lying to me for the last sixteen years."

He paused and looked at his friends who listened with raised eyebrows.

"My Mom."

**Longest chapter ever but I didn't see another point where I could cut, so be lucky!**

**And please review again!**


	7. Chapter 7

After one week Percy went to school again.

This morning at work he placed also the extra money, which he usually took for his mother, in the silver box, before he walked off. He needed this job and he can't allow himself to get fired now.

His mother didn't give him a shout over the week, what nagged him quite a lot. A little (even if he knew, that it wasn't true) he had the feeling that his mother wanted distance between them, a lot of distance.

With big steps, he crossed the school yard, lost in his worries and thoughts as a voice pulled him back to reality: "PERSEUS JACKSON!"  
He turned around to see Annabeth storm towards him. Her eyes were steel and the grey was almost turned into black.

Percy shifted so that his still sore rear doesn't get any of her punches but this wasn't her plan at all.

To his surprised she wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his black winter coat. Somehow this girl always managed to surprise him. Smiling, he pulled her closer, tough his rear protested painfully.

"Thalia said you had severe injuries," she mumbled suddenly and pulled so far away she could look in his eyes.

Percy tensed. Thalia didn't shut up. Great. Now he needed a good excuse for this, otherwise Annabeth wouldn't stop asking questions.

But nothing came in Percy's mind as he gazed at her.

"Don't think about lying to me right now, Seaweed Brain!" she warned and Percy sighed desperately.

"It's complicated," he murmured and tightened the grip around her. With a look she mentioned him to keep talking.

"Oh what am I spying here?" Never before Percy was so glad to hear Thalia's voice, "Are you finally dating, or what? I think Nico owns me five bucks-"  
Annabeth pulled away and Percy looked at Thalia angrily with a sideglance to Annabeth, whose cheeks were bright red. She tugged at her coat and wrapped her arms around herself as a breeze lifted her curls.

Somehow Percy had the urge to wrap his arms around her again.

Thalia looked at him guiltily as Percy grabbed his bag tighter and looked at the two of them.

"I need to go," he mumbled finally and without turning around again he headed into school until he heard steps behind him.

"I hope you have a good excuse for that!" he snapped as Thalia walked up to him.

"I- She- then," she stuttered very Thalia-unlikely. "I'm sorry, I didn't want this to happen, she listened as I spoke with Nico about you and then she stuck to her gun. You know how she can be!"

Yes, Percy did know how Annabeth can be if she wants to know so something. He bit his lower lip. For his taste it was too much that Nico and Thalia were already involved tough they just knew a tiny bit of his problems.

"So," he said, ignoring the need to punch something. "What are we going to do now?"

Thalia sighed. "Tell her the truth?"

Percy turned around and started to walk away.

"Hey!" Thalia shouted and caught up to him. "You can't lie to her forever!"

_Worked for now almost four years_, Percy though but kept quiet and stopped in front of his algebra class.

The last stragglers passed them, trying to make it to their classes on time.

"I can't tell her the truth, Thalia," he said finally. "I didn't want you to get involved, but Annabeth is too important to me to put her also in danger."

He pushed the handle as Thalia asked the question which was in his mind too for the last weeks: "Do you love her?"

But before Percy could answer, he walked in the room and slammed the door behind him shut.

School passed unusual fast.

Probably, because Percy was too occupied in avoiding Thalia as well as Annabeth, what was much difficult at the latter. Sure, Percy still had Nico but in the last weeks he departed from him and Thalia increasingly.

His free time, he spent with Annabeth, apart from that, he was dealing, so often in the last time, that he had a lot of money left.

He stored it in his new room at Nico's and Thalia's, since the two of them had practically forced him to stay and never take another step into Gabe's apartment.

After some gripping of Nico he got the old 'hobby room' (an empty room, Nico used to store his fast-food up, for midnight snacks) and yesterday Thalia dragged him and Nico to Ikea in Brooklyn and bought new furniture with her father's cash card.

Naturally Percy had protested but Thalia threatened to go to his mom and tell her everything.

He leant against the cold brick wall outside as his mother crossed his mind.

How will she reacted, when Percy is going to ask her about his real dad?

Somehow he was glad that Nico and Thalia accompanied him but he doubted that it will be easier to get his mother talk with them.

A strong wind swirled his hair just to let it drop right in his eyes.

In the last day, it snowed a lot and New York was as white as ever, everywhere the people got excited about the coming Christmas, but the only thing Percy was looking forward to, were his three days vacation, Joe gives him every year.

"I've eavesdropped," Annabeth stood suddenly in front of him. She pulled her grey trench coat tighter around her and shoved her hands into the pockets, to keep herself warm.

Percy looked at her but tough he wanted to look angry, it probably was just a disappointed sigh. "How much did you hear?"

Annabeth looked at him guiltily. "Everything."  
His cheeks became warmer, as he thought about the last question Thalia had asked, but soon his pudency was replaced by worry and he sighed gravely: "You won't give up until you know, will you?"  
"No," Annabeth admitted, "But actually I didn't thought it would be so hard. I thought we would be friends after all."  
"We are friends. But it isn't as easy as you think," Percy said, "We don't talk about that kind of secret you need to keep because it would be _so_ embarrassing if somebody knew. No, we talk about something that puts everyone in danger who knows. And I don't want you to be in danger."  
For a while Annabeth silenced and gazed at the floor.

"But maybe I can help you," she said, "You can tell me. Seriously. I'm also worried about you, you know?"  
Percy looked at her. "I don't want to endanger you, sorry."

Again a long pause.

"You don't trust me," Annabeth said finally, looking hurt.

"You know that isn't true," Percy affirmed her. "I'm just worried. Someday I'm going to explain you everything."

She nodded not very convinced as a boy came over to them. He smiled mischievous at them and his blue eyes sparkled in the winter sun. Some snow flakes were on his head, like he came from a big snow ball fight.

"Hey, Annabeth. Are you ready?" he asked.

Percy ignored that stitch in his chest as well as he could.

Annabeth sighed as she turned to the boy. "Yeah, Luke. Let's go."

The boy grinned and reached out his hand to Percy. "Luke Castellan."  
Percy smiled back and shook it. "Percy Jackson."

"Okay, see you," Annabeth said and waved at him before she walked off together with Luke in direction of her house.

Percy asked himself, what she is going to do now. Giving up, is not an option to Annabeth Chase. She will find some way to get her information.

"Hey Perce," Nico said as he and Thalia walked down the steps of the school, "Ready?"

_No,_ Percy thought but smiled, tough. Like usual he lied to them, "Let's go."

**A little Percabeth in here :) I just couldn't resist.**

**The characters, especially Percy, are a little more serious in this story, but I hope you do not mind too much. **

**And since you are already here, just leave a review and maybe I will bake some Donauwelle for all of you ;) **


	8. Chapter 8

This time the rid with the elevator to the third floor, took like forever. Percy felt sicker by each inch they were driving upwards and as the doors opened, he was about to throw up in one of the trash bins.

In silence he walked together with Nico and Thalia down the hall until he reached the room number: 312. He looked at his friends, who were giving him reassuring smiles and pushed the handle.

Inside bright light from the windows filled the room. It was silent and he could see his mother sleeping under the white sheets of her bed. She looked pale, paler than before and next to her stood a blue bucket probably because for the chemo and the sickness which is coming from it.

Percy walked to one of the chairs besides her and plopped down while Nico and Thalia stood awkwardly behind him, looking unsure what to do next.

Sally opened her eyes slowly, awakening from the sound of the door handle been pushed. She watched her son smiling at her, and sat a little up.

"Hey, honey," she smiled back at him.

"Hi, Mom," Percy replied and tried to let his voice sound as carefree as usual.

"Oh and Nico and Thalia are also here," she looked at them. "It's nice to see you again, you two. How is it going?"

Thalia and Nico exchanged a nervous glare before Nico answered her: "Great, I guess and how are you?"

"For somebody who has cancer, I'm feeling good," she chuckled. "So why are you here? It seems like something is on your minds."

Percy took a deep breath, this was his chance. "Mom. Gabe told me something."

Sally kept smiling. "Oh and what?"

He bit his lower lip, searching carefully for his words. "About my real dad."  
Silence.

The smile on Sally's face vanished and she looked shocked at her son. Her eyes were flickering with different emotions, mostly guilt and sadness. She looked even sicker than before.

"I-" she stopped herself and took Percy's hands in hers. "Honey, I wanted to tell you, but I thought you wouldn't care."  
"Why shouldn't I care?" Percy was angry but not with his mom. He was angry with his father, who was the one who didn't care.

"Gabe, was always there, when you grew up, so-" she left the rest in the room.

And Percy was tempted to start his next sentence with _Unfortunately_, but he resisted. "Mom, who is my real dad? You need to tell me."  
"I know," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "He- He was an important man, Percy. You look very much alike, you two."

"Mom, what's his name?" Percy said with some vigor.

Sally was crying by now. "Percy,"

"Mom, please-"

"No, Percy, please call-"suddenly her hands fall off his and she started to shiver heavily, while sweat streamed down her face.

Percy rushed up and thrummed against the red button to call a nurse. Seconds later the door was pushed open and nurse ran inside but as she saw Sally, she screamed over her shoulder for a doctor. She started to press her legs and arms on the bed as a doctor and more nurses came inside. One grabbed him by the arm and yelled at Thalia and Nico to go outside.

The last thing Percy saw was how the heart monitor showed an even line.

Never Percy asked his Mom about his real Dad again.

She survived it with a lot of luck and now she was getting better but Percy couldn't bear the thought that he almost killed his mother. He visited her on the next day and you could see from her eyes that she was sad.

The next day past eventless and Percy was going back to his normal routine.

School was just bearable with Thalia, Nico and Annabeth, even tough she was hanging out with this Luke-guy a lot.

Percy wasn't too convinced of him since he always pulled her away when Annabeth was speaking with them. Thalia smirked often at Percy's expression and then she says: "Someone's jealous."  
Percy wasn't jealous, he just didn't like Luke.

His mother was doing better everyday but she kept sending Percy away, when he visits her too often. She always wore that sad smile on her face but he never asked about his father again. And he won't.

Maybe it was better like this.

So he wouldn't get hurt if his father rejects him or disappointed if his father is a bastard like Gabe. He would continue his life, without his father, just like now and he was doing great.

His job was going okay even tough Joe forced Percy to wear a blond wig and some contacts now because he got anymore costumers and he didn't want them to stalk Percy.

Again he reached up for the wig and looked if it still fit.

Currently he was leaning against the dumpster at his spot waiting for some costumers. Glenn came already fifty minutes ago and the other regulars too.

"Ehm hello?"

Percy got up and pushed the dirt of his jeans. "Over here!"  
The man walked up to him and finally entered the light of a lamp above Joe's door. Percy's jaw almost dropped as Luke Castellan stood in front of him with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

**Dun, dun, dun! **

**Yeah, the first two (sound weird is it called first two?) dramatic turns here. I'm sorry that it took so long, but last week was the last week of school and then everything is a little crazy, but now I also have vacation! Yay, finally. Well you can look forward to more updates ;) **

**And don't forget to review :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_Do not show any emotion_.

That was the first rule, Percy was told as he started this job. Nobody would pay for drugs from a scrawny little kid who looked so scared because he was already hit by his father that morning who complained that his mother was in hospital and not cooking for him.

Right now Percy understood why this rule was so much more important.

He needed a calm head, not to show any of his thoughts right now, while the friend of Annabeth looked at him still smiling.

"Ehm hey," he said.

_He doesn't know, Percy, calm down._

"Hello," Percy answered hollowly and with an innocent voice he added: "What do you want?"  
"I've heard you have _stuff_," he still smirked that bastard.

Percy wanted to strangle him and tell him not get near Annabeth again but he couldn't.

"What you heard was wrong, I guess," Percy crossed his arms.

"Oh and what are you doing at half past seven in an alley?" he asked.

"Hanging out and when you don't go I call the cops-"

Suddenly he heard how a door was opened and turned around to see Joe leaning half of his body outside. He looked like usual, just that his coat was more tattered and he seemed to have fresh scars in his face.

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you discussing, boy?"

"He isn't an adult, I won't-" Percy started but Joe cut him off.

"This isn't your decision, I'm your boss and I say give him whatever he wants, or do you want to get fired?" Joe looked right in his eyes and Percy nodded before the door was closed again.

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

Luke flashed a smile. "Roofies, a lot of roofies."  
Percy starred at him angrily. "Go around the dumpster, I will get them for you."  
Luke followed his instructions and waited whistling on the other side.

Slowly Percy started to fill a little plastic bag with the pills and knot it tightly before he got up again and handed them Luke who smiled excitedly.

"One-hundred-fifty," Percy told him, hoping he hadn't enough money to pay but Luke pulled out his wallet and handed him the bills with another smile.

"It was great to deal with you," he said before he slipped the roofies in his backpack and walked around the corner.

Percy gazed at the opposite wall before he put cursing the money in the box and closed the drugs behind the bricks.

He freed his hair from the wig and together with the contacts he crammed them in a white bag before he tossed them under the dumpster and pulled out his blue backpack. He changed from the loose green coat into his black one and started to walk to school, carefully looking for Luke, but he didn't saw him until he spotted him together with Annabeth on the school yard.

He ran up to them nervously. Was he going to give Annabeth the drugs? She wouldn't do drugs, would she?  
"Hey," Percy greeted them with a small smile, acting like nothing had happened.

"Hi, Perce, good that you come, man," Luke smiled and Percy had again this urge to strangle him for this stupid grin of his. "I was about to invite Annabeth to my party tonight and I wanted to ask if you also want to come."

Annabeth smiled. "Sure, this will be fun."  
She looked at Percy. "Are you coming too?"

He shook his head slowly, "I'm going to visit Mom."

"Well it's going to be awesome, my friends and I will serve a special drink," this mischievous smile spread across his face.

Percy gazed at him as he suddenly understood. Roofies, a new party drug.

"I just think you shouldn't go," Percy said again, and again Annabeth sighed at the other end of the line. For about twenty minutes now, he was trying to convince her not to go to Luke's party tonight. It was a little difficult, tough.

He couldn't tell her exactly why he didn't want her to go otherwise she would ask how Percy did know that Luke is going to drug her.

With other words: Percy had no arguments.

"And why? I don't get it, Seaweed Brain. Why shouldn't I go?" Annabeth replied once more. By now she was slightly annoyed Percy could hear it in her voice.

"Because I don't trust Luke," Percy walked up the stairs of the apartment complex and slipped his hands in his pockets to search for the keys.

"And why don't you trust Luke? He's nice, Percy. If you knew him like I do-"

"You don't know him," Percy interrupted her and on the other end Annabeth exploded.

"But you do, or what? You know, I don't care what you say, I'm going to this party," she huffed as Percy entered Nico and Thalia's apartment.

"Annabeth, listen, I-" he started but this time Annabeth cut him off.

"See you Monday," she said and hung up.

Percy sighed and gazed at his cell phone for a moment to find a way to convince her. He couldn't let her get drugged. It would be his entire fault. He was the one who sold Luke the roofies.

"Are you okay, Perce?" Nico looked at him as he walked out of the kitchen.

Percy nodded and flashed a short smile before something came in his mind.

"Hey Nico are you going to Luke's party?" he asked and put his coat away.

"No, we can't," Nico sighed. "Our Dads are coming."  
Percy looked at him surprised.

Nico's and Thalia's Dads didn't visit them very often. Percy was friends with them for almost five years and he only met their fathers twice. They are business men and are flying around the world to manage their company together with another brother of them, Percy never met.

He and Nico strolled in the living room where Thalia lay on the couch with her headphones plugged in, humming Linkin Park songs.

As she noticed her cousin and Percy she paused her Ipod and made a sour face, like she knew what they were talking about.

"I told him," Nico said.

Percy gave them a reassuring smile. "It's not going to be that bad."

Thalia sighed. "You have no idea."

"At least you know your father," Percy said just to shut up Thalia and Nico about complaining. He was right, immediately they looked guilty.

"What are you going to do about that anyway?" Nico asked him.

Percy shrugged. What was he going to do? He wouldn't dare it to ask his mother again and another source he hasn't, so there was no chance he'd find his father.

"I put it on hold for now," he answered them after a while, "I have bigger problems."  
"With Annabeth," Nico smirked at him but Percy ignored it, he was too worried.

Thalia turned his head to him. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Percy mumbled and got up before he walked back in his room and made some assignments.

The whole afternoon he thought of a way to keep Annabeth away from this party and gazed probably most of the time at the ceiling until he decided to take the hard way.

At eight, he walked outside as he bumped into Hades and Zeus, Nico's and Thalia's fathers. They looked at him; probably they remembered the boy who pushed Nico in a fountain on the last family meeting.

Something flashed in their eyes and for a moment they gazed at each other.

"Hey Dad and Uncle Hades, do you-" Thalia came out of the kitchen in her hands a bowl. "Oh Percy, where are you going?"

"To Luke's party," he said as he finally managed to turn away his gaze, but he could feel how the two kept starring at him.

"Okay," Thalia looked at her father with a raised eyebrow. Unlike Nico and Hades, who looked like twins with their love for black clothes and their dark hair and eyes, Thalia and Zeus looked nothing alike, except of the eyes, electric blue.

Thalia's father was a tall man, Percy only knows in suits and with his scruffy beard which remind him of thunder clouds.

"Zeus, and you are?" the man reached out for Percy who took his hand awkwardly.

"Percy Jackson, sir," he answered him and Zeus looked at Hades whose eyes were glued at him too.

"Jackson, huh?" Hades shifted awkwardly as Thalia walked up to them.

"You met Percy already didn't you, Dad? Last summer," she told her father who looked still stunned.

"No, I would remember him. I'm sure of that," he mumbled.

He was actually right, they didn't meet until now since Thalia and Nico tried always to avoid their fathers on family meetings.

"I can't remember him either," Hades admitted and they started to gaze at him again.

"Ehm, may I ask why you stare at me like that?" Percy tried his best to be polite but it was really awkward, how they stood there.

"You just look like somebody we know," Hades told him and the silence between them continued.

Thalia raised her eyebrow. "And who?"  
"Don't tell me you don't see this Thalia," Zeus looked at his daughter surprised. "This boy looks like a clone of him."  
Thalia huffed. "Well I didn't spend much time with my family, did I?"

Zeus looked angry. "This isn't important right now. What's the name of your mother?"  
Percy shifted uncomfortable. "Why should I tell you?"  
"He has a point," Hades said. "Are you here from New York?"  
"Ehm, yes," Percy answered them.

They kept asking questions what felt like hours and Percy answered some of them but a few were to personal especially the ones about his mother.

Finally Thalia saved him. "Percy didn't you want to go on this party?"

His eyes widened as he saw that already twenty minutes has past. Annabeth could already lay high in a corner and he was chatting here.

"Oh my," Percy grabbed his coat and Thalia's car keys. "I need to go. I wish a nice evening."  
With that he stormed out of the room and rushed down the stairs.

**Yay this was longer than the others, wasn't it?**

**Anyway sorry for that cliffie. Again :)**

**But hey maybe if you give me many reviews, I gonna update soon, in two day… or even tomorrow?**

**Your decision ;) **


	10. Chapter 10

Luke's house was not far away.

It took just twenty minutes to reach it but what Percy saw there almost freaked him out. The party started about forty minutes ago, yet the first people were already jumping around, yelling songs and drinking from pink cups.

As he entered the living room, he saw kids crying in corners or beat up each other. Typical reaction of roofies. Actually they have a calming effect but when you mix them with alcohol and when you are younger, then it's vice versa. **(A/N: A toast to wikipedia at that one!) **

You become aggressive or depressed.

Percy searched for a glimpse of blonde hair but too many people filled the room and some of them started to grab after him. He pushed himself through the crowd until he reached a bar at the end of the room and spotted Luke.  
Percy sighed relieved as he saw how he talked to Annabeth, who looked calm and normal. In her hands was already a cup and Percy started to move faster.

She said something to Luke before she disappeared in the hall and Luke smirked to himself.

Percy tried to pass him but Luke has seen him anyway.

"Hey, Percy," he smirked. "You came. I'm a lucky host. You want a drink?"  
He tossed a blue cup in his hands but Percy didn't even look at it before he threw it in one of the trash bins.

"Where is Annabeth?" he asked instead and Luke smiled again.  
"Toilette, party pooper. She has really a great time, you know."  
Percy rolled his eyes and walked in the hall where it was, fortunately, empty and looked for the bathroom. As he finally found it, he was almost about to burst in the room as he remembered that it was, yeah well, a bathroom.

So he hesitated for a moment before he started to knock against the door: "Annabeth! Open the door, please!"

A minute later he heard the lock clicking and the door opened so hard that Percy almost bumped in it.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked surprised.

Percy looked for her cup but he couldn't see it anymore. "Please tell me you didn't drink from the cup."  
Annabeth frowned. "Actually I just finished my second one."

Ten to fifteen minutes.

Percy had now ten to fifteen minutes to get Annabeth as far away as possible. He grabbed her wrists and started to drag her along outside the house where the first people started to puke over the grass. She complained, tried to stop him, but he was stronger than her, so she had no other options than to follow him.

He pushed her in car before he slipped in after her.

Annabeth glared at him like he was crazy. "What are you doing? I want to stay!"  
"But you won't. Call your Dad, you are going to sleep at Thalia's," Percy said harshly and started the engine.

"But-"

"Call him now!" he told her and drove off the street. He was definitely over the speed limit but he couldn't care less. As much distance as possible; that was his aim.

Annabeth fumbled out her cell phone and used the speed dial to call her Dad. She told him, she would stay at Thalia's for this weekend and he shouldn't be worried as Percy drove like a maniac.

Fife minutes, Percy thought.

"Okay, and what now. Is this-" Annabeth stopped and pressed her hands on her eyes. "I feel funny."

Percy looked at her with a worried smile. "These are going to be ten hard hours, okay? You won't remember anything, but I will take care of you, so nothing you don't do anything stupid."  
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it one time.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked and started to knead her hands and blinked from time to time.  
"Your drinks were spiked with roofies," Percy said. "But everything will be fine. I promise."  
And then Annabeth was gone.

Next to Percy was sitting now her drug-self. A complete other person than the beautiful girl, moments ago. She started to laugh hysterical, suddenly, her voice so high-pitched that Percy almost got deaf.

"Oh my god, where are we driving?" Annabeth shrieked. "Oh I love this song!"  
She turned up the music and started to dance on her seat.

Percy didn't reacted, he just kept driving with the knowledge that this night is going to be the longest he ever had.

Annabeth kept laughing as they entered the apartment.

Percy hoped Zeus and Hades were gone and as he looked into the darkness of the hall. His hopes were confirmed. Annabeth behind him suddenly shrieked and jumped up and down.

"I know this bar somewhere in downtown, they are selling these funny cocktails and you can make there a rodeo! Come on let's go!" she tried to drag Percy outside but he tightened his grip around her hand and pulled her to his room.

"What is wrong with you? Let's go somewhere! I don't want to sleep. Sleeping is boring!" she complained all the way.

"Come on," Percy told her as suddenly Thalia's bedroom door was opened.

She raised an eyebrow as Annabeth suddenly squealed. "Thals! Tell him to go out with me. I don't want to stay here! You can join us!"  
She frowned and Percy sighed. "I tell you tomorrow, when Annabeth isn't high anymore."  
"Ehm okay," she answered confused as Percy walked together with Annabeth in his room.

Suddenly she was silent and he turned confusedly to her.

"And what do you want to do with me now?" Annabeth smirked as she pressed her body against Percy's.

He sighed and untangled himself from her. "Nothing, we will go sleeping now."  
"You are right," Annabeth sat down on the bed and looked at Percy.

He sighed and turned around to grab clothes for her to sleep in. He didn't mind changing in his PJ in front of her since she is going to forget everything until tomorrow.

Suddenly he heard sobbing. Annabeth lay on the bed and had pulled her legs to her chest, crying silently.

Percy walked to her and held the clothes out to her but she didn't move. She just kept gazing at a wall while tears streamed down her face. He sighed before he started to peel her out of her clothes and slipped the pajama over her head. Gently he pushed her on the bed to put the warm sheets also over him.

He wrapped his arms around her so tight that she couldn't move anymore. She curled up and kept crying like a baby for at least forty minutes while Percy kept whispering reassuring words in her hair and tried to calm her even though he knew it was useless.

He needed his energy for the tough phases, like depression and aggressiveness.

She was crying the other minute as she suddenly started to laugh.

"Oh my god, these blue flying dolphins on your wallpaper are so funny," she laughed so hard that she started to cry again.

No need to say that Percy's walls are plain white.

He buried his head deeper in her hair as her body started to twitch.

Then she started to cry again. At some point she started to kick the wall and tried to get a rid of Percy but he didn't let her, he couldn't let her go. It was his fault.

After some time of silence Percy saw that she fell asleep.

Maybe it wasn't as hard as he thought. Maybe she would sleep through the ten hours of hell.

Maybe-

His thoughts were shattered as Annabeth sat up in his bed and started to scream her soul out.

**Here we go again!**

**And to say it again most of the information I found on Wikipedia and Google, what actually means I have no idea of drugs or roofies, so I hope you don't mind too much if there are some wrong effects.**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated earlier but I always got distracted in the evening… Anyway thanks for you reviews and adding my story!**

**I try to update this time sooner ;) Pinky swear.**

**And please leave a review if you are here anyway**


	11. Chapter 11

She screamed full of pain and hurt.

Percy sighed again, hoping Thalia and Nico would forgive him. He wrapped an arm around her and started to run his finger through her sweaty curls. But she kept screaming, crying and sobbing without telling what was going on until she slipped away of Percy's arms and ran in an empty corner of his room.

She throw her hands against the wall, screaming louder as the door burst open and Nico and Thalia looked shocked at Annabeth.

"What's going on?" they asked but Percy waved them off.

He took small steps towards her until he sat in front of her. She turned around and her eyes were empty, the pupil unnatural wide and the grey twirled hectically in her iris.

Tears streamed down her face and never in his life, Percy felt guiltier.

He reached out for her and she tried to back off further in the corner but she couldn't.

Gently Percy touched her cheek and Annabeth started to scream again, but suddenly she wrapped his arms around him, gripping his t-shirt so tight that he almost couldn't breath anymore.

He picked her up bride-style and carried her to his bed again. She mumbled small words as Percy looked at his two friends who looked shock at Annabeth.

With a glare he told them to go and they obeyed wordless.

He wrapped his arms around her again and this time she reacted with tightening her grip around him.

"Please, don't leave me alone," she whispered, "Like my mom did."  
He kissed her forehead, "Never."

Annabeth didn't fall asleep until four in the morning. Sometimes she slept for five minutes before she started to scream again, or she was awake and yelled at Percy to let her go and go to hell, kicking against him and the wall but he never let go.

Sometimes she wrapped her arms as tight as possible around his torso and sobbed in his t-shirt, she cursed her father and his new girlfriend, or she screamed at an empty space, she thought it would be her mother.

She rolled around in her sleep, cursing, screaming, crying.

At one point Percy fell asleep, he didn't want to but he did.

As he awake, Annabeth was gone from his spot next to him. He turned around, his worry overwhelming, to see her sitting in the middle of his room on the floor.

She gazed into the darkness her eyes wide opened.

Her expression showed nothing, no hate, no anger, no pain, nothing. And this was worse than her kicking so hard against the walls that the neighbors beneath them knocked with a broom against the ceiling.

She looked empty, hopeless as Percy sat down opposite of her, looking straight in her face. But even though her eyes were turned to him, she wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was far, far away.

"Hey, how are you?" he whispered.

Without any emotion she whispered back: "Did you know that life is useless? Someday I will die and then? Nobody will remember me. So what sense has it to be alive at all?"

His breath choked in his throat. "It isn't useless, I would remember you."  
"You will be dead too," she told him.

"And if you have children?" he asked her.

Annabeth glared at him. "Children? It would be cruel to put them in this senselessness."

Percy gulped. "Don't think so, tomorrow everything will be fine."  
"The tomorrow is as useless as the now," she whispered.

He got up and walked behind her to sit down and pull her on his lap. She didn't move, showed no reaction, not as Percy wrapped his arms around her, not as he placed his head on her shoulder and kissed her jaw.

So they sat there two hours, gazing in the dark until they fell asleep on the floor, wrapped in each others arms.

The next morning Percy awake as Annabeth shot up from the floor and stumbled outside his room. He heard how a door was ripped open and the unpleasant noises of someone throwing up. He sighed as he ran the fingers through his messy hair.

Usually you do not throw up from roofies but when the pills are mixed with too much alcohol; then it's possible, tough.

Percy remembered the scent of the liquid in his blue cup. At least three quarters had to be vodka or something like that, and he knew Annabeth wasn't used to alcohol.

He got up from the floor and walked in the bathroom.

Annabeth was kneeling in front of the toilette, her hands gripped tightly the toilette seat and her eyes were closed. He could see how she shivered and her skin was paled.

The morning sun fell through a window and let her hair gleam like pure gold as Percy walked to the lavatory and grabbed one of Thalia's hair ties.

Gently he pulled her hair in a ponytail so no skein hung in her face anymore as she threw up again.

Percy's heart knotted up at the sight. Guilt was overwhelming him.

He caused this. It was his fault that she was sitting here after the worst night of her life, which she, hopefully, didn't remember.

He sat down next to the toilet bowl and leant against the wall as he watched the sun rising above Central Park until Annabeth got up from her spot with shaky feet. She cleaned her mouth with ice cold water and grabbed something before she joined Percy on the floor.

She placed her head on his shoulder and he felt how her whole body was shaking. To stop it, he wrapped his arms around her while she pressed a bucket to her chest, afraid to throw up on his t-shirt.

Beads of sweat shimmered on her face and Percy kissed her forehead reassuringly before she buried her head deeper in the nook between his head and shoulder.

They stayed silent and watched New York in the morning.

But at some point Percy lifted his head from hers. "How are you?"

She shifted uncomfortable and shook her head to signal him that she felt like crap. He nodded and they fell back in silence for the rest of the morning, gazing at the blue sky and feeling the cold tiles beneath them.

**Yay I'm back! **

**I know it's short but at least I've updated :)**


	12. Chapter 12

It took some time to explain Nico and Thalia, why Annabeth lay curled-up on Percy's bed with a plastic bucket pressed to her chest. At some point she fell asleep, although she shot up from her sleep and threw up again.

After he tugged her tightly in a blanket, he went in the kitchen and started to make pancakes.

At the moment he loaded some of them on a big plate and placed them on the table, while Nico calmed Thalia, who kept insulting Luke with the worst insults. Percy finished setting the table and sat down opposite of them.

"I hate him. How could he?"

Percy listened closer. Thalia didn't sound just angry, she sounded… disappointed. And she is only disappointed if it's somebody she cares about.

"Ehm, Thals, I didn't know, you and Luke were friends," Percy started carefully.

Thalia's cheeks reddened slightly and Nico raised his eyebrow surprised. "I- Yes, we are- we were friends."

"Aha," Percy smiled as Thalia crossed her arms.

"And what's up between you and Annabeth?" she snapped back and he couldn't prevent, that his cheeks became red too.

He liked Annabeth, but he didn't know how _much_ he liked her exactly. Besides it didn't matter, since he won't get together with her anyway. She didn't know anything about him. About the things, which controlled his life.

"Nothing," he murmured and grabbed an empty plate to fill it with pancakes.

Silently they started their breakfast.

Why did Luke something like that? Percy's thoughts were so confused that it hurt to think about it too long. Actually he thought of Luke not as that bad. The only thing which bothered him was that he always hung out with Annabeth. Not that Percy was jealous; he just didn't like the thought of Annabeth being together with a boy doing drugs.

"Somehow I'm glad that our Dads were here yesterday," Nico said after a while. "I mean otherwise we would look like Annabeth now."  
Instead of laughter, he got two angry glares and a weak: "Why thank you, Nico."  
Percy's head shot to the door, where Annabeth stood on shaky legs. She was wearing one of Thalia's sweats and a t-shirt from Percy which was a way too big for her.

Of course, she still looked fantastic with greasy hair and the bucket in her hands.

He jumped on his feet but Annabeth shot him a glare.

"I'm not going to die, I just got a hangover," she huffed and sat down next to him.

Thalia and Nico looked at Percy who shrugged and turned to Annabeth, after he took a deep breath. "How much do you remember exactly?"  
She placed the bucket next to her on the floor and wrapped her arms around her shaking body: "I remember how you dragged me rudely-" she glared at him angrily and Percy grinned back. "- in Thalia's car and I think I called Dad, but after that- nothing. Until this morning."

Her cheeks reddened a little and, though he tried to avoid it, Percy blushed also.

He cleared his throat to break the silence: "Okay, maybe it's better like that."  
"What? Why? What happened tonight?" Annabeth frowned and Percy looked at Nico and Thalia for help.

"Well," he started slowly. How do you tell somebody, that he was drugged and spent the last twelve hours with kicking against walls and screaming into the darkness?

"Luke put roofies in your drink and last night you drove the neighbors crazy by screaming and crying like an insane," Thalia said and after a moment she continued eating while Annabeth gazed at her.

"Ehm, what?"

"You've been high, so high, that Percy probably didn't sleep a wink tonight, because he had to take care of you the whole time."

"Thalia this isn't funny," Annabeth said, her gaze fixed on Thalia, who just kept eating her breakfast until she pointed at Percy with her fork.

Annabeth turned her attention to him and how much he wanted to lie to her, just to calm her and so she wouldn't be hurt, he couldn't. Her eyes gleamed so desperately after the truth, that just her face pulled the words out of his mouth.

"She says the truth. I'm sorry."

Annabeth silenced for a moment. "He put drugs in my drink?"

Percy nodded. "I eavesdropped as he talked with a buddy about it and therefore I took off to pick you up."

Lie. And from the look on Annabeth's face, Percy knew that she suspected he was lying. Again.

"I wanted-" he started but the words stuck in his throat. "I- I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Annabeth sounded embittered now. "It's Luke's fault."

Not quite, Percy thought and internal he fought with the urge to tell his friends everything.

They stayed quiet.

"Are you okay?" Thalia asked carefully as Nico shifted uncertainly on his chair.

Annabeth sighed. "I don't remember anything. What happened last night?"  
Thalia looked at Percy, who lost suddenly his appetite.

"I think you don't want to know that," he said but Annabeth shook her head.

"I need to know that. Otherwise I- urgh. You know I hate not knowing things, so tell me! Please, Seaweed Brain!"

When she starts to beg, it's serious.

Percy sighed desperately before he shot Thalia and Nico a glare. They shook their heads and he looked angrily at them. Both rolled their eyes, grabbed their half-emptied plate to walk slowly out of the room.

Percy got up, closed the door behind them and started to tell.

At each word, Annabeth's eyes widened a little more until she looked up at Percy, who was walking through the room by now, with a shocked and frustrated expression.

He tried to avoid her gaze.

"I'm sorry," he said for another time and stopped in front of Annabeth.

"It wasn't your fault," she mumbled and wrapped her arms tighter around herself, "It's Luke's."

"He's an idiot, but I doubt that he wanted to hurt you," Percy said and looked straight into her fascinating grey eyes, trying not to get captured by them.

"He betrayed me," Annabeth gazed at the kitchen tiles. "Just like my mother."

Percy sighed and stroked a skein out of her face, "She died, she didn't run away."

"Still. She was warned and did it though," a tear escaped her eyes and Percy caught it with his thump before he pulled Annabeth from her chair into his arms. She buried her face in his shirt to block the nausea and headache out for just a moment.

And suddenly it was night again for Percy and Annabeth was the desperate girl trapped in a drug-hell.

He hugged her tighter, with the little hope, never to let go again, but after some time she pulled away though. Her gaze showed now a little confusion and she gazed at him for a moment until she took another step closer to him and just as Percy's heart started to race, because he felt her breath tickling on his lips, she turned suddenly and throw up in the sink.

She leant over the metal basin with shaky arms. "I hate him."  
Percy looked at her and all at once it dawned on him that if Annabeth knew who had sold the drugs to Luke, the 'I hate him' would refer to Percy.

**So here is the next chapter, my dear readers. Feel free to leave a comment!**

**P.S. I really want to finish this story so I probably gonna update very soon, and with very soon means I'm playing with the thought of tomorrow morning which mean for you like in the middle of the night.**


	13. Chapter 13

Annabeth tried several times to call Luke and insult him, but as she already had drawed up a list with the worst insults, Percy has ever read in his life, he saw himself forced to take her cell phone off her hands and put her together with Thalia on the couch.

After long discussion they decided to watch something calming and Thalia headed off to get Saw I- VI from Nico to make a girls' night.

Because of that Nico was degraded to a slave and Percy was sent into bed to rest since he was up almost the whole night, but of course he couldn't fall asleep at five pm and so he lay on his sheets, left alone with his thoughts.

Thank god Joe had set him free for this weekend, because he had too many extra hours again. Yet Percy had the feeling he shouldn't overwork Joe's kindness.

The laughter of Thalia and Annabeth resounded in the hall and Percy couldn't stifle a little smile playing on his lips.

He hoped Annabeth would get some rest too, since how ever you want to see it in Percy's sight she had tougher night than him. Also there started to come these awkward feeling for seeing the whole night Annabeth's problems.

He had the feeling that he invaded into her privacy because he saw how much the death of her mother and the behavior of her father worried her. Though Percy couldn't exactly reenact Annabeth's hate against her Dad. Dr. Chase was actually a nice person and a good father how it seems. After all he called to ask how his daughter is at ten in the morning and Percy was seriously impressed with Annabeth's acting talent. She could almost lie as well as him.

Fresh laughter from the girls, and Nico, wherefore you could hear a loud 'Boom' seconds later, like somebody dropped a sack of potatoes on the floor, and then you could hear Thalia burst out in laughter.

Percy sighed and put the legs over the rom of his bed before he went, still in his PJ, in the living room.

Nico sat on the floor in front of the couch on which Thalia and Annabeth had settled down, together with some cokes, chips and popcorn, but it seemed like Nico wasn't allowed to eat any of it since Percy saw his friend for the first in his life without food between his teeth while watching a movie.

Thalia had placed her legs on the table, just like Annabeth, who took, tucked in a blanket, distance to the food.

Perhaps she had a hangover after all.

Percy smiled and leant in the door, as the Jigsaw currently explained how his victims could escape the room, they were sitting in. It was the first movie after Percy's judgement. The best one.

"Hey, I thought, you'd get some rest?" Annabeth looked at him reproachfully as she spotted him finally.

He sighed and fell down on the coach beside her. "Couldn't fall asleep, besides I didn't want to miss how Nico is abused as a slave by Thalia."

At the last part his friend in front of him turned his head, to glare at him angrily, as Thalia clapped her hands together happily.

"Exactly! Nico get Percy a coke," she commanded, but her younger cousin just snored.

"I said I'd be slave for you and Annabeth, but not for-"

"Right now, Nico!" her voice has become a hissing and Nico almost tripped as he got up hastily and went to the fridge. Annabeth and Percy clapped their hands approvingly and Thalia made a little bow, like some tamer, before she turned her attention back to the carnage on the screen. Nico came back with a grim face and tossed the coke in Percy hands, what made Thalia smile for a little moment.

He took a sip of the cool liquid and leant his head back against the fluffy couch before he could turn his attention the movie, but somehow he couldn't focus so he started to play with Annabeth's curls. At the beginning she always slapped away his fingers, but later she lost her patience and let Percy twirl her hair around his index. Again and again.

"You've got fun, Kelp Head?" Thalia grinned as he had another curl in his hand.

Percy smirked back, "Actually yes."

Thalia and Nico laughed together with him, just Annabeth's face turned scarlet and divested him her hair, what he accepted with a small smile.

Saw I and Saw II past away.

In between Nico was forced to clean Thalia's room and righter afterwards the bathroom, which he did after three death threats and Thalia who got ready to keep throwing empty coke cans at him for the rest of the night.

While the laughter of the third Jigsaw filled the room and Thalia got this crazy expression, which she got always, when they watched horror movies, Annabeth fell asleep and her head sank on Percy's chest.

Immediately his heartbeat became faster and the warning to keep away from her for her own safety started to spin in his head, yet this time he just pushed them away and put his arms around her.

For one dammed weekend his worried could terrorize somebody else.

The morning was cold.

Since Annabeth, Percy and Thalia had slept on and Nico in front of the couch, nobody has closed the windows the previous evening and now the cool New York winter air was streaming into the living room and settled down in each of their bodies.

Goose bumps crept up his arms as Percy opened his groggily.

Everything looked like yesterday. The low table was full with rubbish like junk-food wrappings and emptied coke cans while Percy's and Thalia's legs filled the rest of the space on it. Meanwhile Annabeth had turned so that her head was still lying on Percy's chest but and her arms hung loose around his waist and her lages were placed in Thalia's lap. Whereas Nico had it much more uncomfortable. He still sat on the floor just his head had enough space on the couch and soft snores came from it on the height of Annabeth's stomach.

Carefully Percy tried to lift Annabeth's head but she just responded in tightening her grip around him and pulled her legs up to her chest to have a better reach of him.

From the movements Thalia woke up and started to cuss loudly before she got up to close the windows as noisy as possible. She grumbled, "I get a hoodie", and left the room, including to slam the door shut so loud that Nico and Annabeth also awaked.

"Morning," Annabeth murmured as she buried her head deeper in her pillow a. k. a. Percy.

"Dammed it why it so cold in here?" Nico had jumped to his feet, rubbing his arms to warm himself, "My god why didn't you close the windows?"  
"We?" Annabeth looked at him angrily but didn't seem to get up. After all she had a blanket.

"Right," Thalia came back in the living room, now wrapped in a black hoodie and walked in the open kitchen, "You are supposed to be the slave."

Since Nico hadn't any arguments, he stuck out his tongue at Thalia as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"What about breakfast?" Annabeth looked at Thalia, who was rummaging in the cupboards for something eatable.

"Now more hangover?" Percy grinned down at Annabeth who rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"How cute you are," Thalia looked at them disgusted. "But if you have finished snuggling, you could help by tiding up this mess."

Annabeth groaned as she got up involuntarily and Nico yelped triumphantly before he tossed a bag of toast into Thalia's hands, who just started to set the table.

Together it didn't take too much time to tidy up the room and make breakfast.

"You need to chew it, you know that, don't you?" Percy looked at Annabeth who seemed to swallow the whole toast in one before grabbing another one.

"I'm hungry," she replied and started to spread butter on the golden bread before cramming it in her mouth. Lucky them, it was a big bag of toast.

"Watch out, otherwise you look like Gabe, when you're finished," Percy laughed as she started to lick her fingers greedily.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I will never manage to sink on the level of you father. That's impossible for humans."  
"Step-father," Nico corrected and Annabeth frowned, "What?"  
Thalia and Percy glared at him angrily and he smiled apologetically back.

"Guys?" Annabeth looked between them and you could see that she didn't like the fact that she didn't understand something. She wanted an explanation, right now.

Percy ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at Thalia, but she shrugged, "I think we should tell. She's probably the only one smart enough to figure a solution for this problem."

Nico nodded in agreement and Percy started to tell her everything, sighing.

"That means he abused you?" Annabeth looked shocked, yet not really surprised.

Percy nodded slightly and the room fell in silent for some time.

He felt stupid for telling Annabeth, even more stupid for telling Thalia and Nico. He has the feeling that his well-kept secrets were slipping out of his fingers and this couldn't be good, for none of them. He asked himself, when they'd knew about him being a drug-dealer.

"And you have no idea were your real father is and you didn't dare to ask your mother after the accident again."

Another nod and now Annabeth was sighing, "And how do you want to know who and where is your father, then?"

"Well, actually I thought, I just leave it," Percy answered hesitantly," I mean, if he ever wanted to know, he'd have already searched for me, wouldn't he?"

In her eyes twirled the grey excitedly, "And if he doesn't know about you."

Percy hasn't though about that. What if his mother had left his dad before Percy was born, before he even could know that his mother was pregnant. But why didn't want his mother to know him? Was he that untrustworthy? Was he irresponsible?

Percy said nothing while the thoughts twirled in his head, blocking out everything.

"Even if, Annabeth," Thalia cut in. "We have no idea how to find Percy's father. Sally is our only source."  
"No," Annabeth disagreed, "Gabe knows it too."

**Dun, dun, duuun! Another cliffie :) **

**Told you I gonna update very soon and I want to keep that, so look out for another update tonight or tomorrow morning (German time)**


	14. Chapter 14

"I cannot believe you actually talked us into this!" Percy hissed over his shoulder as he carefully approached the door to his step-father's apartment.

Annabeth looked amused but her eyes told him that she was nervous too and for once in their friendship he saw a spark of doubt gleaming in them.

It was just right to doubt this idea, even Percy saw the number of flaws in her plan and he wasn't sure of the most important fact of it: Gabe's mental absence. They hoped, not knew, that Gabe had passed out from the alcohol last evening and was now not even ten inches away in a deep sleep from which he hopefully wasn't easy to be pulled out.

Percy fished after his key. It has been three weeks since he used them the last time and the cold metal had something dark on it, like an omen for his suffering.

He unlocked the door and tried to open it but it needed some strength to push away the rubbish piling up in the hall. Everywhere the otherwise gleaming parquet was now covered in empty wrappings and beer cans which left little puddles of liquid on the floor.

The smell was now almost overwhelming and he could feel Annabeth boring her fingernails into his arms as they stepped in the apartment and Thalia closed the door behind them.

The apartment could be confused with a dump, he thought as the smell seemed to press all the air out his lungs.

Percy turned around and saw that Nico was looking slightly sick and Thalia's face has taken an ugly shade of green. "Okay," he whispered, "I gonna check if he's really sleeping."

"Check if you can open a window too," Thalia grumbled as Percy tip-toed to the living room.

Here too, the floor wasn't recognizable; it was just a sea full of rubbish.

In the middle of the sea dangled a couch and on it the biggest and ugliest walrus which Percy has ever seen. Its clothes were dirty with thousands little spots, so many that it almost looked like the shirt has always been yellow. Its three single hairs were greasy what you could see from the pinkish baldness which gleamed like a polished bowling bowl in the morning sun.

For a moment he sighed in relief and though about closing the door but he decided against it.

He walked back without making too much noised and told the others about Gabe sleeping on the couch without moving an inch.

It seemed like Annabeth got a push from that new information and she explained her plan to them for another time. Each of them would go in another room and search for photos, letters or something else from a man who is not Gabe and which of course is addressed to Sally. She had the theory that Percy's mother didn't tell her husband about her former partner but that he found something which belonged to Sally and showed him who Percy dad is and that he does live here in New York.

Percy sent Thalia in the kitchen, Nico in an old store room and told him for later where the bathroom is, before he showed Annabeth his parents' bedroom and walked then with light steps into his own old room.

"Dear gods," he muttered as he saw the mess Gabe has left in it.

Probably he expected Percy to come back or maybe he was just frustrated that he didn't and that he now needed to buy cigarettes on his own.

The whole furniture was history, it was shattered and broken in little wooden and plastic splitter which covered the carpet-floor, which was not blue anymore but black since it was just merely more than ashes. The walls, once white mixed with blue strips, were now also black.

His whole childhood burned away. Everything he had left was now dust under the leftovers of his former bed, closet and desk.

He stumbled backwards and slipped down the wall, before he ran his fingers through the ashes of his former life, of his lucky memory with his mom, they were now all gone. Nothing was in this apartment now, what remembered him of good times, like as his mom was still healthy and baked cookies for him as snack while they played with his toys here on his floor.

Hate, was now too weak to describe the emotion towards his step-father.

Shaking, he rose again and just for a moment he played with the thought of going in the living room and using Gabe's unconsciousness to punch him senseless until he would need to go in hospital or even better until he dies, but he knew he couldn't risk it, he couldn't risk his friends to suffer under his lose of temper.

He shoved his hands in his pocket and clenched fist so tight that his fingernails bored in his flesh and he could feel on some spots blood running.

He kicked some rests of his cupboard without making noises and thought how he could make Gabe pay for this but his thoughts were disturbed as voice, he knew too well, let out a scream and he could hear the same laugh he heard three weeks ago as a vodka bottle bored in his flesh, "ANNABETH!"

**Yay more than 100 reviews! Thanks a bunch guys! And the 100th reviewer even gets something but I thank this is something for later on, isn't it? **

**Well, gonna update later this day, so see ya and don't forget to review! **


	15. Chapter 15

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled again and ran out of his room.

He climbed hastily over the mountains of rubbish and over stuff and tried desperately to reach the living room before this bastard could do anything to Annabeth. Almost tripping he stumbled in the room and through the bright light he recognized the wide shape of Gabe Ugliano, pressing somebody against the yellow wallpaper.

He smiled at his new victim, like he just won the jack-pot in lottery while Annabeth tried to get out of his grip, kicking, screaming and struggling. She couldn't move her arms since Gabe had gripped her wrists and pinned her so against the wall.

"Let her go!" Percy screamed and the hate for this man burned inside of him.

Gabe turned around and tiled his head slightly looking at his lost step-son with slight amusement. "Look, who's back."

"I swear to God, I kill you if you do anything to her, you son of a bitch," Percy said through gritted teeth and Gabe laughed heartily, "Like you could frighten me, little bastard. You can't kill a fly. Besides this beauty here-" he shook Annabeth lightly "-doesn't need to be scared of me. I would never harm something gorgeous like this."  
He grabbed Annabeth's wrists with one hand and let the other slip down her side, before he caressed her cheek.

To Percy's surprise Annabeth didn't look scared or frightened, she looked angry and glared at Gabe with so much hate, that it made Percy shiver.

"Let go of me, you pig," she spat at him and Gabe grinned as he let his right hand rest on her hip, "Ah, a feisty one. I like it."

This was enough for him. Without even knowing it, Percy was running towards him now and didn't stopped but knocked him over so that he let go of Annabeth and slid over the floor like his step-son.

Percy got to his feet and saw a glimpse of Annabeth's golden hair in the door frame before she disappeared, hopefully searching for Thalia and Nico to get away from here. But as he was about to follow her, Gabe grabbed him to turn him around before he reached back and clenched a fist with his sausage-fingers.

It felt like his skull would break into two as the fist connected with his face and he could feel blood on his lips as Gabe built momentum yet again.

Percy's hand searched for some kind of weapon and closed around a lamp which he grabbed and hit Gabe right in his ugly face. He dropped cold to the floor, his nose bleeding like insane and a big bruise across his whole face became visible.

The lamp shattered to the ground as Percy turned around and ran in the apartment, yelling for the others who appeared a second after his calling in the frame of the kitchen.

Annabeth gasped at him, "Percy you are bleed-"

"I don't care," he said and grabbed Thalia and her, dragging them across the hall and outside to the staircase. He could hear Thalia yelling for Nico to hurry up and don't let it drop, whatever _it_ was. They didn't stop running until they bowed into the street of Thalia's and Nico's apartment and even there, they kept walking with large steps to the entrance of the apartment complex. Other renter kept glancing at them as Thalia took over command and pushed all of them in the elevator. First then Percy saw the little silver box in Nico's hands but he didn't care, he wanted to collapse on something fluffy and the greatest need: he wanted to scream at Annabeth, why the hell she walked in the living room.

He glanced up at her and caught her staring at him, but she didn't blush or show any emotion on her face, she just looked worried and guilty.

The doors slipped open and Thalia reached in her pocket to open the door with what looked like less than a hand move. She let in Nico who was still clenching the silver box tightly in first and Annabeth and Percy lingered back for a moment.

The two of them stopped in the floor while the cousins disappeared in the living room.

"Percy's I'm so-"

But he cut her off straight away, "What did you do in the living room. I told you not to go in there, haven't I?"

"Yes, but I needed to go because-"

He interrupted her again and this time he didn't try to calm his temper anymore, "ARE YOU CRAZY, ANNABETH? HAVE YOU THOUGHT FOR A MINUTE WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU? THIS WAS THE MOST IDIOTIC THING TO DO IN THIS APARTMENT AND YOU STILL GO IN THERE FOR THIS STUPID BOX?"

Annabeth stared at the floor, as she looked up again her eyes were red but Percy didn't know from anger or because she was about to cry.

He was sorry for screaming at her but yet he felt a satisfaction in it and he didn't think of apologizing since it was her who put herself in mortal danger.

"I'm sorry okay," Annabeth said her voice angry. "But I did this for you and I know you want to meet your father-"  
Percy was about to say something but now she had talked herself into rage. "-don't deny it. I'm sorry that you got kicked your butt for me and I'm grateful because in this moment I gave Gabe all credit for raping me but there is no need to scream at me like that. I did this for you, so you could show some thanks!"

He snorted. "What is this stupid box compared with losing you? You could be dead or hurt or worse by now."

She blinked confused about where this conversation was suddenly heading. Her voice became much softer, "Percy, I-"  
"Guys?" Nico stood in the doorframe looking uncomfortable and afraid that Percy would scream at him now instead of Annabeth.

"It's okay Nico. What do you want?" she said and turned her body to face him and not Percy anymore who leant back against the wall and looked at Nico, waiting.

A small smile crossed his friends face. "We opened the box."

"I knew it!" Annabeth said as she looked over Percy's shoulder and saw small glimpse of old photos in the inner of the silver box, Thalia had opened moments ago.

Percy ran his hands through the small pile of old photos and searched for some hint of his father, but the most of them were about him or his grandparents. He saw them now in Kentucky, Idaho, Texas, Florida and also Hawaii, always with white pants and bright flourish shirt. They looked like these typical tourists with their fanny packs and caps with the name of the State they were visiting.

He skipped their visit in Arizona as his look suddenly landed on a photo of his mother in a bright yellow dress holding somebody's hand tightly and smiling in the camera. He took it out of the box so that his friends could see it too and he could see his surprise and disappointment reflecting on their faces.

He could clearly recognize his mom in this picture but the corner where the man's face and torso are was completely burned and you could just see the black trousers he was wearing at the moment.

Annabeth grabbed the photo and turned it to see for a date, but either there wasn't written down a date or it was on the missing corner. She turned to the picture of Percy's mom again and looked at it for a moment.

"Well we can assess that this is a man who is not Gabe," she stated, her eyes still fixed on the picture. Thalia and Nico nodded disappointed while Percy felt anger in him rising again.

Then this whole thing was for nothing. Annabeth just got herself almost raped and Percy a burst lip for a stupid photo which somebody, probably Gabe, has found before him and destroyed the information, Percy needed so urgent.

He mumbled a curse as Annabeth besides him suddenly turned around and walked out of the room, still holding the picture in her hands and she still held it as she walked in the room again after a few minutes.

But now she had something else in her right hand: a black picture frame, which Percy had seen on Thalia's sill. She placed the frame on the kitchen table before she sat down next to him and placed the photo in her hands right beside Thalia's picture.

The cousins behind them gasped.

"This is impossible," Thalia breathed as Nico leant in the gasp between Annabeth and Percy, his eyes and mouth wide opened.

He turned back to Thalia who stood there paralyzed. "Thals, the fountain, it's unique, but how-?"

"Rather why?" Percy said.

"And when?" Annabeth asked still gazing at the picture.

Thalia looked suddenly grim, "And who the hell is holding Percy's mom in the garden of Dad and Uncle Hades' manor?"

**Yay another update!  
Well I'm almost finished with writing but I just can't decide on the end. It's like catching the only lemon drop in a giant glass filled with strawberry candies…**

**Never mind my writer blocks, that's far away from this point of the story so don't worry gonna update tomorrow morning (again German time, since it's right now for me 22:21 eh… wait 10:21 pm) hopefully.**

**Please leave your comment so I get motivated and can write an awesome ending! **

**To leave your review just click the button below, thank you and please visit again.**


	16. Chapter 16

Percy doubt that it was legal to drive like Thalia, despite the fact that they were currently somewhere in New Jersey on a deserted country road, he still believed it was a great danger to hold a tempo of 200 when outside of his window a not so comfortable looking cliff towered above wild waves crashing against some sharp rocks.

In her range she had shooed them in the car about fifty minutes ago and without saying a single word she started the engine to drive out of the city. She didn't need to say where they were heading, for all of them it was pretty clear that Thalia wanted an explanation why her father and also Nico's father never said something, why they hadn't explained the last time they met Percy. He understood now the reason they acted so strange that evening. They knew it, they knew his dad, they knew it and didn't bother to tell him.

But besides his anger about these two (and also Annabeth), Percy felt anxious, even a little excited. In maybe one hour he would know who his father is and where he could find him. Did Zeus and Hades know him? Was he a nice person or a bastard like Gabe?

His thoughts were disturbed by Thalia pulling into a drive of the biggest and greatest manor Percy has ever seen. The big white house itself stood a little higher so that you could probably look over the whole lot, which reached from the golden gateway to the forest, Percy caught a glimpse of as Thalia drove up in front of the entrance.

A big fir tree stood opposite of the giant golden doors, Thalia was now banging against. It was decorated with Christmas stuff but most of it was covered in snow, so you could only see the Christmas lights gleaming under the white blanket.

Percy, Annabeth and Nico followed Thalia's example and walked up some stairs so they stood next to their friend who was waiting impatiently for somebody to open the door and luckily this happened a moment later. A man in tux with thin grey hair and sparkling dark green eyes opened the entrance with dash before he looked mildly surprised at Thalia and Nico.

"Master Nico, Lady Thalia, what brings us the honor?" he asked and Percy felt himself looking intently to somewhere else than the butler because he couldn't trust himself bursting out in laughter about the way the man was talking. A short glimpse of Annabeth showed him that she also tried not to laugh or even smile but she was doing a way better than him.

"Yeah whatever, Walter," Thalia mumbled and Percy bit his lower lip. Walter? Oh come on.

"I need to see my father and Uncle Hades, now," Thalia said and it had a threatening sound.

Walter raised his eyebrow, "I'm sorry, Miss, but the Lords are resting for their journey to Russia tomorrow, I'm afraid I cannot awake them."  
"But it's important!" Thalia pressed, "Just go and wake them!"

The butler made a grimace, "The Lords were adamant that I would not awake them and-"

"Walter, what's going on there? I think I heard-", a woman appeared behind the man in the tux and stared at Thalia.

Her brown eyes changed from warm and welcoming to hate and despise. She was rather tall with long brown her which fell over her shoulders in soft waves. She had a beautiful and kind face but behind it you could see something dark almost sinister. Percy decided to be careful around her. She didn't seem to be someone you can mess with.

"Thalia," she said after a long period of silence.

"Hera," something in how Thalia said her name made clear that she disliked this woman more than anything in the world and that her sight was the most terrible punishment somebody could have given her.

They stared at each other for a while before Hera looked to Nico who had also tensed as the woman appeared in the hall, "Hello, Nico."

It didn't sound hatefully but also not very kind, apparently she didn't like one of them since she just looked at Annabeth and Percy for a few seconds and turned then back to Thalia who was still glaring daggers at her.

"Where's dad?" she asked and Percy thought he never has heard Thalia talking so rude to an adult before.

"He's upstairs, sleeping," Hera told her and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I need to talk to him, now,"

The woman rolled her eyes, "Like Walter has told you before-"  
"- I don't care, go and awake him or I do it myself," Thalia stepped into the hall and glanced up the marble-staircase which lead probably to the bedrooms. High windows were placed in the wall opposite of them and the sunshine which fell through them let the black tiles gleaming.

"I tell you no and this is my house-" Hera's look became threatening but Thalia interrupted her, though.

"Your house? That's my dad and my uncles' house, just like your car belongs to my dad, your food belongs to my dad and your pretty clothes belong to my dad. Without him you wouldn't have anything of these your saint things!"

Percy dawned that Hera was probably Zeus second wife. After Mrs. Grace, Thalia's mother had died; Zeus was not alone for a long time. After a few months he met Hera on a Greece journey and another few months later they married. Percy knew that Thalia didn't even bother to visit the wedding even though it took place here on this lot.

Hera took a few steps towards her step-daughter and looked at her with an emotion beyond despise, "Your father loves me and we will get a baby. Our child. And then you will be redundant. Your father will have a child, he can love because you, you only destroy him with your hate against your own family, but of course you don't care at all. You are too _cool_ to care."  
Percy felt how Annabeth next to him took a sharp breath and he found himself doing the same as they looked at Thalia waiting for her respond.

"Hell yes, you are right. I don't give shit on what you and dad are planning, I don't care if you are pregnant with a devil spawn. I'm not here because I needed to come home, because I miss you so much. I have my reasons and I tell you Miss Perfect, they do not have anything to do with you!" Thalia's cheeks were red from anger and she was clenching her fists as she finished. She looked also quite surprised that she had been screaming at her step-mother who had taken a few steps back.

"You little bit-" Hera started as tall man, who Percy recognized at once, walked down the stairs. Zeus hair was tidy and he was wearing already a suit, what made Percy wonder if the man even slept in those. He looked down at his wife and daughter with a stern look while the rest of his face imposed rather tired. "What is going on?"

Thalia gazed up to her father and probably thought about the reasons why she came here again, but Hera huffed and crossed her arms again before she turned to her husband. "Your daughter wants a word with you."  
Then she shot a final glare at Thalia before she walked upstairs without even looking at Zeus again and another moment later you could hear a door being slammed shut.

Zeus sighed before he walked down towards his daughter. "So what do you want to talk about?"  
Thalia's expression turned even angrier as she pulled out the picture and hold it in front of her father's face. "Who's the man, next to Percy's mom? You know him, don't you?"

Zeus eyes widened before he took the photo in his hands and gazed at it. "This is your mother, then?"  
He looked up at Percy who nodded a little anxiously about what was coming now. He wondered if Zeus is able to give them some kind of an address and if he was going to see his dad today.

Thalia's father took a deep breath before he looked at Walter. "Go and get my brothers, they shall come to the kitchen."  
He looked at the four teenagers all with a confused expression on their faces. "Well, there's a lot to explain, come on we talk about it in the kitchen."

**I'm not very satisfied with this chapter but I hope you review, though…**


	17. Chapter 17

The kitchen was as impressing as the rest of the house but Percy couldn't focus on that now. His head was spinning with questions and the excitement to get to know who is father is. Zeus had made it more than clear that knows about his dad and that he was going to explain everything now, but Percy felt also a little pang of doubt and fear in him. What if his father was an idiot? What if he didn't want to know about Percy at all? What if he was dead? Nobody said that he was alive after all and he wasn't sure if he could take such a disappointment.

Zeus led them to a rather small table in a corner of the kitchen where currently some cooks were cocking dinner. The smell of a roast tucked at Percy's nose and just then he noticed how hungry he actually was. Apparently the other's stomachs were growling too because Zeus asked one of the cooks for sandwiches and drinks.

He, then, sat down on a chair opposite of the settle Percy and his friends let their selves fall on.

"Perseus-" Zeus started but Percy interrupted him.

"Percy, sir, just Percy, please,"

"Well, Percy, then, I suppose you have a lot of questions, so ask what you really want to know," Thalia's father narrowed his electric blue eyes in him and Percy felt relieved that he finally would get some answers to clear the mess inside his head.

"Who's my father?" he asked automatically.

"I tell you when my brothers are here," Zeus said with a sigh.

Percy felt anger rising inside him, "That's not an answer."

"I never said I'd give you answers, I told you, you can ask questions," Zeus retorted and now Percy felt dumbfounded but decided to keep asking something else as long as he has the chance to do so. "When was this picture taken?"  
Zeus held the photo between his fingers looking at it thoughtfully. "It was about seventeen years ago on a family celebration, here on this lot, in the garden. Your mother was there because of her boyfriend, your father. She probably was already pregnant at this point but we didn't know, maybe she didn't know either."  
Percy mouth felt dry. His father belonged to this family or what? Or maybe he was entertainer and his mom- _Don't be ridiculous!_ A voice, which sounded a lot like Annabeth, said inside his head. His father belonged to this family, so he is somehow related to Thalia and Nico, maybe far related cousins?

He didn't notice that everybody was waiting for another question until Annabeth suddenly asked, "Did Percy's father knew that Sally was pregnant at all?"  
"Well, yes, but he got to know this much later. She sent a letter with a picture of their son, but she told him in the letter she doesn't want any contact anymore," Zeus explained.

Thalia looked as confused as the rest of them, "But why?"  
Her father shrugged. "You need to ask him yourself. I didn't understand why they broke up and your father never wanted to tell me."  
It sounded like this was special, like he was used to the fact that Percy's dad tells him anything without hesitation, which just means that they are quite close to each other. His heart started to race, he wanted Hades and this other brother to come as soon as possible. He finally wanted to know who his father is.

"They will come any minute now. Maybe you just eat and drink something until they are here, it's easier to explain with them," Zeus sighed as the cook placed a big tray full of sandwiches and lemonade cans in front of them. Soon you could hear the four eating like they haven't been fed in years, but they stopped dead as the kitchen door flung open and two men walked in.

The first one was clearly Hades, this time dressed in black pants and a black t-shirt. He hurried in and looked confused at Nico but before he could say anything, his son's head, just like the other three's, turned to the third man who now stepped besides his older brother.

He was tall with wide shoulders and his skin was tanned like he has spent a lot of time at the beach. But what surprised the most was his jet-black hair with some gray skeins which hung in front of his sea-green eyes.

He gazed at Percy who stared shamelessly back before he opened his mouth slightly, "Dad?"

**A short one but, it's the second for today and I'm just so happy right because my brother bought the entire Harry Potter Series on Ebay for a great price :). Currently I'm totally obsessed with HP and it's probably time to tell you that after I finished that story, I won't write any Percabeth-fics for a while. That's why I'm hurried to finish this one since I have an idea for a HP-fic in my mind, I just can't get rid off, which means I probably will post a new story in this department soon. And I hate it to hold too many stories especially in different categories. Sister Percy I've finished months ago and I just let them beta and post them. I won't update for Moments either, I want my mind completely focused on my new fic(s). I hope you don't mind and after MoA I probably will write Percabeth- Fic(s) again. **

**But there are still many chapters left and I'm still fighting with an exciting, dramatic and Percabeth-bursting end, so don't worry ;) **

**Maybe a review will help you with that… Just click the button below!**


	18. Chapter 18

Sometimes you are sure of something. You know straight away that this is a matter of fact and how much you wished it wasn't true, you know it is, though. And that happened right now as Percy watched the third brother walk in the kitchen, with the same hair like him and the same eyes and even the same high and built like him, he knew it couldn't be someone else than his father who he hasn't seen for years now.

Some of you may think now that after Percy gave a weak: "Dad?" his father burst out into tears and pulled his long lost son into his arms and the two of them spent the rest of they day making things up but it wasn't like that. After Percy has asked something he actually already knew, there was a silence in the room only interrupted by the sounds of cooking in the kitchen. And it wasn't even a comfortable silence, it was an awkward one and Percy just wished that his father would finally break it and say something, anything, but in the end it was Zeus who spoke up again, "Hades, Poseidon maybe you sit down."  
They nodded and took the seats to each of his brother's side before another awkward silence filled the next moments until Zeus broke it again.

He grabbed the picture and handed it Poseidon who was still staring at Percy with an unreadable expression. As his gaze fell on the photo his eyes widened and he looked up at Percy once more but this time he decided to say something. "You- You are Sally's son?"

Somehow Percy was glad he didn't say my son, he didn't feel ready for this yet. As respond he nodded slightly and Poseidon slumped back in his chair looking like he just carried a rock upstairs the ESB.

Percy didn't hold it against him. He, himself, felt overwhelmed by the fact that his father was sitting now opposite of him and actually is talking to him. He knew he would get to know who his father is today but he thought he would know when he was going to see him.

He leaned back as he rubbed his eyes before looking back at his father. There was one question he needed an answer to and he couldn't hold it back anymore so finally he burst out, "Why?"

Poseidon looked at him with a sad expression, he knew exactly what Percy was asking, what he wanted to know so urgently. He didn't look too happy about answering, though. He was silent for an awful lot of time and his son felt like he was going to break down and cry like a little kid. This is was just too much for one day.

Suddenly he felt fingers interlacing with his and he looked at Annabeth who smiled a small smile before she squeezed his hand one time. He felt immediately sorry for screaming at her a few hours ago and was about to apology as Poseidon decided to answer his question, "I wanted to."

Percy and probably also his friends, who had all a more or less problems with their fathers, looked at Poseidon doubtfully. It has been sixteen years since Percy was born and as long he could remember, his father never has called or sent anything. As little kid he didn't mind since he thought Gabe would be his father but for the time he knew that this wasn't the case, he was angry with hid dad, angry for being ignored by him.

"Maybe I should start from the beginning," Poseidon sighed, "Nineteen years ago I met your mother in high school. She was rather unpopular, unlike me, but she was often at that beach. Montauk. I was young and very into swimming. I was captain at high school swimming team."  
Zeus and Hades both rolled their eyes and Percy couldn't force back a little smile.

"So I often went there too, to practice and just for fun. Sometimes to calm myself or get my thoughts sorted out. Anyway someday I met her there and we- " his voice seemed to crumble a little and he gulped down the lump in his throat. "- we fell in love. The summer of our graduation became the best of my life, we both got accepted by Columbia and we were moving in together and then we started studying. We grew apart a lot over this time but I was too obvious to see it. She felt lonely, not loved anymore since I was used to go to courses in the morning and in the evening I would work in my father's company. It was in our summer vacation as she confronted me about her feelings and I told her I would change. And I did. For the summer. This family celebration took place in this summer and this picture-" he hold up the photo between his thumb and index. "-was the very last picture of us. A few weeks after that the next term begun and two weeks later as I came back from overtime at my dad's, she was gone."

Poseidon silenced and looked at Percy waiting for a reaction but Percy was just confused, why didn't his mother tell his dad that she was pregnant? There was no real explanation for that, because he doubted that his father would hurt him or hate him since he's telling Percy right now everything and didn't show any since of dislike, if anything then he showed guilt.

"When did you know about me?" Percy asked. His grip around Annabeth's hand tightened, he was confused and holding her hand was like holding onto Ariadne's thread in the Minotaur's labyrinth.

Poseidon took a deep breath, "She wrote a letter to me two years later." he raised a little and pulled out a black leather wallet. After some rummaging he developed an old ripped and tatty photo with a little boy not older than two years on it. He was sitting on a couch which Percy recognized immediately as the couch in Gabe's living room, and let his chubby legs dangle over the edge, a smile plastered on his face while his sea green eyes sparkled.

Annabeth chuckled a little and turned her face to Percy, "You were so cute."

He let out a laugh and the other joined him. In this moment he loved Annabeth even more for lightening the mood and yes he's accepting it: he fell for her. Hard.

"What do you mean by 'were'?" he retorted. She smiled a little smile before looking back at Poseidon whose eyes sparkled amused and Percy had the feeling that it wasn't about the baby photo. As the table fell back in silence everybody looked at Poseidon again and as he started to talk, the mood became like earlier, maybe a little more relaxed, though.

"As the letter came I didn't open it. I was too hurt and too angry with her leaving me that I decided to burn the letter, which I expected to be an apology, in the evening after a camp fire we, my brothers and I, used to make at the beginning of summer vacation. But as Hades who was searching for me found the letter, he demanded me to open it later that night. He probably supposed that I would go and burn it."

He looked at his brother and Hades nodded with a small smile, "It's never good to hold a grudge too long."

Poseidon nodded, "In this case, I was glad he forced me into doing it. The letter said that Sally had been pregnant with my child and that she just wanted me to inform so I would know. She explained that she wouldn't bother me with you. 'Percy will not become a burden to you. Him and me, we will not destroy what you and your brothers have built.' I remember that line. It broke me that she thought I wouldn't want to know you; that I'd think of you like some kind of barrier because of my career."

Percy tried to process this information. Then it was his mom's fault he never met his real father. She told him not to go after them; she thought it would be the best for all of them. Typical his mom, acting for the greater good. She didn't want to ruin Poseidon's career and she didn't want Percy to be disappointed when his father wouldn't have time for him, but her wishes, she ignored. He felt like he wasn't suddenly the worst son in the world. His mother who had sacrifice her wish for a real family, just so nobody around her would get hurt and he, the little filthy drug-dealer he is, was ignoring her sacrifice and ignored all the parenting she had given him: He lied to her about Gabe, he lied to her about his job, he didn't bother to tell that he moved to Nico and Thalia's and he ignored her wish about his father.

Annabeth was stroking his hand with her thumb and looked at him worried, but he felt too depressed to give her a cover-up for his current feelings. Thalia and Nico looked similar, just Poseidon looked as though he would understand what his son was thinking at that very moment and to take the attention from him, he continued, "Of course I started searching for you. But your mother made a good job at covering herself. I didn't know where to start so I searched in New York at her favorite places but soon it was clear that she left after your birth and moved to another city. I looked for her in bigger cities, I was trying to find her in publisher lists since she wanted to be an novelist after college and once I also almost find you in Indianapolis but as I stood in front of the apartment your mother had rented six months long, she had already left and the new renter had no idea where she went with this sweet little boy who looked strangely similar to me. I started again but soon I gave up because I couldn't keep going like this. I was losing myself. I didn't sleep or eat and I had a beard even worse than Zeus'-" Zeus shot his brother a glare and huffed as he crossed his arms. "- and I stopped working. I got a nervous breakdown."  
Percy looked shocked. "You-"

"I've been in therapy and since then I stopped my search, hoping you would have a good life and a step-father who loves you and cares for you."

All four made a tortured face for a moment before they looked at Percy like they were waiting for him to tell Poseidon about his life, about his mom getting cancer, about Gabe being, well, Gabe and about everything else, but he couldn't get himself to do so. Sure Poseidon's story wasn't exactly a happy story either but his own story seemed too much to Percy. His father had a nervous breakdown because he couldn't find him. How would he reacted on his first big love having cancer and his son being abused, he would have compunction forever, Percy was sure of that, because if he was Poseidon, he would have felt the same way.

The quietness seemed to have no end but Poseidon who understood Percy's silence as overwhelming and simple excessive demand, broke it after some time, "I'm sorry, Percy, that I never called you and such things. I've missed your childhood and I probably never going to forgive me for this."  
That just confirmed Percy's thoughts and he took a deep breath before speaking, "I, and mom probably too, won't blame you for this. I mean you didn't know where I am and you don't know who I am." All at the table looked at him with questioning faces but Percy decided to ignore it. "I'm sorry I haven't searched for you earlier." He took another deep breath, "Dad."

Poseidon's face broke into a smile and both of them looked suddenly relieved as they shook hands over the table. Nothing more, just shaking hands and it felt right not to go to fast with this sudden father-son-story. Percy doesn't want to rush things after his father experiences with Gabe and so it felt just naturally to him that they kept a good distance between them. He sat down still grinning with the same smile his father grinned at him from across the table.

"Wait a minute," Nico said suddenly and pulled everyone out of their thoughts, "Does this mean Percy is our cousin?!"  
And somehow this was the clue for all of them to burst out into joyful laughter, relieved about the now passed tension.

* * *

The ride home was the complete opposite of their last one.

After they had dinner at Zeus', Hades' and Poseidon's manor, they left still smiling and enjoying the fact that Percy was now part of their family. Annabeth, Nico and Thalia were also happy to have solved the mystery about Percy's father and his two new cousins seriously started to talk about the option of opening a detective agency together. This made Percy laughing so hard, while they were driving through New York, that he had tears in his eyes and was still chuckling as they entered their apartment.

"Oh shut up," Nico finally said. "You are a worse cousin than Thalia."  
"Aw I love you too Nicki," Thalia stuck out his tongue as they walked back in the living room and fell down on the couch.  
Like usual Nico headed straight in the kitchen getting some drinks and food while Thalia turned on the TV and started to zap through the channels as Percy and Annabeth settled down on the couch next to her.

It felt like coming home to Percy. He never had noticed it that strong before but being here with his friends was his thought of home. This warmed his inner and he felt like the luckiest person on this planet right now. He had a father, two wonderful cousins and nothing seemed to be too bad anymore. His mom would get healthy, he just felt it, and then he would quit this awful job and have a normal life. His grades will be getting better again and maybe his dad will help him out with studying and everything. There was just one thing left to do right now.

He glanced over to Annabeth who was eating popcorn and laughed about the TV show, Thalia had decided to watch. "Hey," he whispered in her ear and with a small smile he noticed how she blushed and shuddered. "Can I have a word with you in my room?"

For a moment she looked at him with a raised eyebrow but then nodded. Smirking Percy got up from the couch and he could feel Thalia's gaze on his back as he and Annabeth disappeared in the hall and then in his room.

They faced each other and Annabeth waited anxiously for him to say something but he kept quiet, looking at her with a spark in his eyes, she couldn't quite order in. Finally she decided to say something, so they wouldn't stand here forever, "If you want to apology because of this yelling, there's no point in that. I mean it was a kind of stupid of me and I can und-"

she was cut off as Percy suddenly pressed his lips on hers. He could feel her tensing for a moment before she sighed against his lips and wrapping her arms around his neck.

It was an ecstatic feeling to kiss Annabeth. In his inner a warm feeling started blubber and his mind became all dizzy, in a good way of course.

Soon he had wrapped his arms around her waist and she pressed her body against his, kissing more passionately. None of them felt like breaking the kiss first and so they didn't stop, they kept going for what seemed to be hours but too soon Percy's cell phone started to buzz.

Groaning he pulled away and looked for a moment at Annabeth who smirked at him while she fiddled with the first button of his shirt. Her face was flushed and her lips were a little puffy from kissing so long but her eyes sparkled like she just was offered to design a new skyscraper for New York's skyline.

"Quit staring and get your cell phone," she smiled playfully and Percy remembered his buzzing phone. Pulling away an arm from Annabeth's waist, he fished it out from his pocket and pressed it to his ear.

"Yes?" he asked, but wasn't very focused since he kept gazing at Annabeth who smiled back at him. This was definitely the best day in his life.

"Are you Percy Jackson?" a woman's voice asked at the end of the line. In the background there was a lot of talking and he could hear paper rustle.

"Yep," he responded and pecked Annabeth lightly at the lips to get smacked from her and a stern _Focus-on-the-phone-_look.

"I'm sorry Mr. Jackson," the woman's voice was dead seriously and Percy suddenly stopped smiling, "Your mother had a heart attack a few minutes, you should probably hurry up before it's too late."

**This was one of the longest chapters, I think, but I couldn't let it end without a cliffhanger, now could I?**

**Please review :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Time seemed to freeze.

As Percy let go of his cell phone, he saw it fell to the ground in slow motion and he too felt like moving in slow motion as he pulled away from Annabeth to hurry out of his room. She followed him confused and worry was written all over her face, but he didn't have time neither the energy to smooth her now. He couldn't smooth her with all these terrible depressing feelings inside of him.

He snatched his coat from the closet in the hall and was about to open the door as Annabeth seized his wrist. She hated not knowing things but in this very moment Percy loved to scream at her to piss off. He couldn't, though. Her face was scrunched up in pain and worry that he couldn't do something else than whispering a short explanation. She looked shocked but let go off him without another word before Percy dashed out of the apartment and ran down the stairs. He tore open the entrance doors and rushed outside. Cold winter air and snow flakes felt like little pins stinging the skin of his face and he wished for a moment the pain would be a little stronger but as soon as he sat down in car it vanished completely.

How could this happen? Why now? This day seemed to be the best day for ages just ten minutes go, but it seems like life hates Percy more than anything. There could never be a day when everything just goes like he wants to, no, this would be too kind, too nice and since Percy is a filthy drug-dealer, he doesn't deserve any luck but this wasn't his mother's fault. She couldn't- He doesn't even want to finish this thought. She fights, she will keep fighting, she won't leave him alone. She has promised it at the day she was sent in the cancer clinic.

He didn't even know that he had reached his aim until he stopped the car on the parking lot before the entrance where people with coffee cups left the building talking and smiling. His hands shivered and his mind wandered to the worst option that could happen but it couldn't be. He will walk in the building and his mom will be smiling weakly at him, mumbling that she got off another time. This was the only thing going to happen; it will be just like last time.

Taking a deep breath, he left the car and walked in the entrance hall of the cancer clinic. People dashed around him, shouting either for persons or folders or coffee as he slowly made his way to the desk where one of his favorite nurses was talking on a phone to someone. He hasn't seen Loren for some time, she usually works at nights because in the afternoon and evening her kids were with her. Percy who used to sleep here sometimes as his life was too much to bear for a thirteen-years old, met her two weeks after his mother got here. She was a kind woman with sparkling blue eyes and short black hair. He didn't know her other than in hospital clothes, like she was wearing today.

She looked up from her desk as Percy stopped dead in front of it, still silence. Her eyes which usually sparkle were now filled with worry. She became good friends with his mother and when Percy wasn't around, she used to have a break in Sally's room so they could talk and bear company to each other..

She looked at him for a moment before she opened her mouth, "Come on. Let's go upstairs."  
It wasn't what he wanted to hear but he didn't complain or said anything at all. He just followed her, enjoyed an awkward ride in the elevator and hurried then down the corridor before they reached her room.

Percy gulped, he didn't know if he was prepared for seeing what was inside this room, so he looked at Loren for any words of reassuring but she remained silent. They stayed for a moment like this still unable to say something until she made a move for the door handle.

Percy never got to know what was behind this door.

Right in the moment as Loren's hand touched the cold metal of the door handle, a shrill peep tone went off and suddenly nurses and a doctor pushed Percy aside and hurried in the room. He was about to follow but Loren hold him back, pushing him in one of the plastic seats next to the door. He was struggling but he also was glad he wasn't allowed to go inside. He doesn't want to see what was happening to the woman, who has given him live, right now.

He was ashamed for this thoughts but couldn't deny it either. He hadn't the energy to lie to himself just to make him feel better. Truth is, he wasn't worth it to feel better.

Loren put her hands off his shoulders as he stopped struggling and started to look at empty space. She stretched herself and with a pained expression, she opened the door slightly to look what has happened.

Her hand shot to her mouth and as she looked back at Percy, tears streamed down her face. Inside the room a muffed and sighing voice said, "Time of death 20:43."

**I feel kind of bad for this but hey- this is just fiction. This would never happen in HoO, I hope…**


	20. Chapter 20

His mind went blank.

Every single good feeling disappeared out of his soul forever. He had no idea how to feel happy again or how to love anybody or it felt to be loved. A cold crept up his body and his mouth became dry while the world around him seemed to end. But it didn't. Nurses passed him like moments ago and some older patients were playing a game of chess in the common room across the hall. He got to his feet, ignoring the sobbing from Loren in the chair to his left and walked to the elevator. Without any word he pressed the button for the first floor and watched the door closing. He didn't think of anything. He just worked like machine, like some robot. He walked out of the clinic without glancing back and turned on the engine before setting off.

He could understand them now, all of them. Glenn, Carlos, Isabella, Arthur, Henry, Dexter and all the others who came to him daily buying things which he thought pulled them deeper away, destroyed them, but it was impossible to be destroyed or to fall deeper when you are broken at the low point.

He turned into familiar streets and drove past the dirty and shabby houses before he stopped Thalia's not very cheap car in front of a dark alley between a Chinese restaurant and an esoteric store. A single light burned over the wooden door, Percy was used to knock at every morning. He got out and with his hands deep in his pockets he wandered over to a dirty dumpster which covered a whole containing the things which were ruination and relief at once. He opened the hole and grabbed in it, pulling out some syringes and heroin. Funny, that he learned how to main in school during the anti-drugs week. Pulling out a spoon and an old lighter, he started to heat the heroin before he filled it in one of the syringes.

With shaky hands he lifted it, pulled up his sleeve and stretched out his arm but before he could do anything the door behind him burst open. He could hear two men, running towards him and as Percy turned around he looked straight in the barrel of a gun.

**Wow, I didn't see that this chappie was _that_ short. Sorry, I could add more but this just feels wrong. If I'm lucky I can update tomorrow morning, anyway, so to kill some time, you could review now ;)**


	21. Chapter 21

"What have we here, huh? A little filthy thief?" it wasn't Joe's voice and his thoughts were confirmed as he looked over the gun in the eyes of the owner. It was a big bulky man with ugly black eyes which twinkled in amusement and joy about the fact that he was going to shoot a teenager. He had thick grey hair pulled back in a short ponytail and his face reminded Percy of the child of a pig and a walrus. His thin scarred lips curled into a smile. Joe was there, too.

He stood behind the man, fresh wounds on his cheek, looking at Percy with an unreadable expression but he was biting his lips and his eyes seemed to be surprised if not shocked.

Percy turned back to the matter on hand and let drop the syringe which broke on the floor and the brown and dirty looking liquid made a small puddle on the stones.

"Isn't this the boy, you are always praising Joe?" the man asked over his shoulder, "The one who never would do drugs? The only one of this lot with a heart and dignity?"

Percy didn't know Joe thought of him like that but he had bigger problems in his mind right now and the time seemed to be wrong to shot Joe a grateful smile, besides he doubted that he was able to smile, anyway. Joe looked like he was x-raying him for the reasons of his actions.

Percy turned back to the bastard who strongly reminded him of Gabe. He was still smiling and his gun was pointing straight at Percy's head. One shot and he was dead. "Well?" he asked softly, "Isn't it a shame, I need to kill you? You know the rules, just like the last one did."  
He loaded the gun but just as Percy thought about his mother and seeing her again soon, Joe suddenly punched the man who was probably his boss square in the jar. He stumbled backwards looking at Joe stunned before he pointed the gun at him. Joe turned to Percy and yelled, "Run, boy!"  
Percy stumbled to his feet and sprinted to the car before ripping the doors open and slipping in right as a shot fell and he looked at Joe's body falling limply to the ground.

For a moment he stopped, gazing at the sight of his boss shocked but as the man spotted him in the car he didn't hesitant. He started the engine and set off while the man behind him shot three times in the backlight before Percy could turn into another street, out of his reach.

How could the best day for ages end in the death of his mother and murder of his boss? As he drive along the street Percy didn't relaxed, his mind cleared and suddenly he could outline what just has happened: He just made himself responsible for two deaths in one day.

He hardly remembers how he got home.

The only thing he could think of was how he stumbled in the apartment and Nico and Thalia started to question him about what has happened in the hospital, how his mom was and everything else he did not want to talk about at the moment. He ignored them, walked straight in his room and lay down on the floor. The bed was a way too good for him so he just stayed on the floor without food, without something to drink, without turning on the heat in the middle of winter for the next two days. Annabeth came in, tried to talk to him but gave up after two hours of silence and decided then to just sit beside him but as she tried to reach out for him, Percy jerked away. He wasn't worth it, she deserved someone better. Thalia came in too, normally she would have been angry for the three shot holes in her car's backlight but she just looked sad as she tried to get Percy to eat or at least drink something. She failed like Nico who brought him a tray with fresh croissants and coffee. As he came back the next morning, the tray still stood next to Percy untouched.

He often heard them whisper outside his door; deciding on whether to leave him alone or not, whether to bring him food or not, whether to yell at him or not, whether to call Poseidon or not, whether to get him a blanket or not, whether to call a doctor or not.

The latter was discussed a lot more than anything else. His friends were getting desperate if Percy would kill himself with his rejection of water and food and they were desperate to see him show any reaction.

Matter of fact is that Percy doesn't show any sign of emotion at all. He just lay slightly curled up in the same clothes like two days ago on the floor, gazing at the opposite wall. His hair was greasy, he was unshaved and thick, purple circles hung under his eyes because he refused to sleep too.

His head was empty, he didn't feel anything anymore and he just kept gazing at the wall. He didn't want to bother his friends with it but he couldn't bring himself to act like nothing is on, he just couldn't do anything, so the hours passed like a few seconds while he lay there on the floor and tried to bring himself to feel anything but failed.

Often he fell asleep but it didn't matter, his sleep was so disturbed that he woke up a few minutes later, anyway. He lost his sense of time. It could be Wednesday or Friday or whatever but he doubt it otherwise he would have died from thirst already but somehow his body kept working, much to Percy's dislike. He wanted to die. It felt like the only task left after killing his mother and boss and after making his friends so much misery.

He didn't die, though, but as he was almost so far, as he could feel that the very last water in his body was gone, the door burst open and Annabeth walked in. The last time she came in, she looked rather sad and depressed but now she looked so furious, Percy has never seen her before.

"Evening, idiot," she greeted and walked to his closet pulling out clothes of him. She placed them on the desk and looked down on her friend, or boyfriend- Percy didn't really know what they are but he couldn't care either. He was supposed to die and she was supposed to live a fantastic life with a handsome, rich man and get a lot of children.

But somehow, Annabeth seemed to think different.

"Get up," she said and looked at Percy with disgust.

He ignored her.

"I said get up," she said and kicked him with her foot like some dead animal on a street. "Now."  
Percy kept ignoring her.

"Stop being such a depressed asshole and get the hell up," she was cussing which means she was really angry.

He ignored her. She was better off without him.

Suddenly Percy felt two hands grabbing him by the collar and pulled him on his knees. Annabeth glared at him with a murderous look and Percy knew he wouldn't get out of this, she played this game so much better than him. Her voice was merely a hiss but it sent goose bumps down his arms as her breath tickled on his nose, "You stupid bastard. Remember as I said it is impossible to get down on Gabe's level, well congratulations Percy you managed to do so. You think your mother wanted this from you? To leave this world because she died?"  
"Don't talk about my mother," it was strange to hear himself speak again since it sounded hardly like him and it was barely more than a whisper.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "What was that?"  
"Don't talk about my mother," Percy said and his voice grew louder and more stable with each word.

"Oh, why not? I just want to tell you how proud she would be to see her son wasting his life giving it up for her. Is it noble? No. Is it idiotic? Yes," she still clenched his collar and their noses were touching.

"Shut up. You didn't know her," he spat and his voice was now steady again because of the anger flooding him as he looked in this damned beautiful grey eyes.

"For example I know that she raised an egoistic asshole. Now, did you know this?" Percy growled as she kept speaking, "But I think it's a way too hard to give her full credit for this. I mean sometimes it's just in the genes."  
"Shut up."  
"You are sure Poseidon is your father? The similarity to Gabe is overwhelming."  
"Shut up."

"You could ask your mother when you're dead but I don't know I would welcome you, if you were my son."  
"Shut up!"

"Why should I? You're just a little filthy bastard, who's giving a shit on his life and the people who love him. No mother could ever be proud of you."  
"SHUT UP!"

Percy anger burst out of him and he pushed Annabeth away jumping to his feet, as all feelings bottled inside of him, seemed to explode and shoot like a firework through his mind and body. He wanted to shake, to yell at her and to punch her for saying what she has said but as he glared at her, she started to smile suddenly lovingly which brought Percy completely out of concept. She grabbed the pile of clothes from his desk and pushed them in his hands before she stood on tip-toes and kissed his forehead, "Then, show me that you are still the guy I love and the son your mother knew."

**Nothing to say, just: REVIEW!**


	22. Chapter 22

PHe was still confused as he stepped out of the shower and started to put on his clothes. Somehow Annabeth had managed to pull him out of this senselessness he dragged himself into after his mother's death. Even the thought of that fact let his inside burn and for the first time after the last Sunday, tears started to roll down his cheeks. He tried to push them aside but new ones kept coming and coming until he sat down on the toilet seat and just let them flow, watching the sun-set behind Central Park and New York's skyline. He felt all the emotions now, he had pushed away after his mother's death. The anger, the hurt, the sadness and the unbearable grief which seemed to pull him in two. What would he do now?

Another thought crossed his mind and with it the picture of Joe sinking on his knees while a bullet drilled in his back. He had lost his job. For a moment he felt joy but then he felt ashamed that he was glad about Joe dying. This man had saved his damned life and Annabeth was right again, he was about to waste it for nothing. He knew at some point his mother would die, she had knew and deep inside of him Percy had knew it too. It was an undeniable thing, death. But to kill himself because of her was the wrong way to handle it. There was just one way to show thanks to both of them. He had to live his life.

The tears had ebbed away and Percy washed his face with cold water before he started to shave and pulled afterwards a T-shirt over his head.

Of course he wouldn't be able to go now outside of this bathroom and be the happiness in person, it would take a lot of time to become the person he was last Sunday as he kissed Annabeth in his room but he knew someday he will be the old Percy, for his mother, for Joe, for Nico and Thalia, for Poseidon and for Annabeth.

He pushed the door handle quietly and like he supposed he could hear excited whisper in the living room. Thalia and Nico were questioning Annabeth but she seemed pretty annoyed because he could hear her sigh several times. He stopped in front of the door frame, thinking about what to do next. He felt a little ashamed for his behavior in the last days and he knew it had hurt both of them to be ignored by him.

Slowly he stepped in the living room.

Nico and Thalia had their rears to him but Annabeth spotted him automatically since she stood behind the table they were having dinner at. The living room was tidied up and the TV wasn't on, like usual, oddly Percy hasn't heard him for a few days now. Outside he could see snow flakes dance in the lights of single street lamps while stars started to twinkle over New York.

Annabeth has put down her cup of coffee and tiled her head as she looked at Percy. She smiled at him and her eyes sparkled brightly like he had given her the best Christmas present ever. He gave a weak smile back as Nico and Thalia turned around too.

They eyes widened and, to Percy's relief, big smiles crossed their faces. "Percy!" Nico jumped from his chair and almost knocked him over with his bear hug. Thalia and Annabeth laughed as Percy smiled down on his cousin.

Thalia got up too and together she and Nico managed to make him stumble and fall to the floor, still hugging his two best friends. They burst out in laughter and just for a tiny moment, it felt like nothing had happened in the past days but it would take more time to get over that.

As they finally untangled their selves from each other, Nico and Thalia pulled their third cousin to the table and demanded him to eat at least half of the family pizza while drinking five cans of coke.

Annabeth sat down besides him and Percy was about to excuse them for a moment as Nico tossed another piece of pizza in his hands before he and Thalia started to fill him in since he had missed the entire last week of school.

To Percy surprise it was already Friday and as he asked himself how the hell he could stay that long without food and water, Thalia confessed that the three of them gave him a little water and soup when ever he had fallen asleep but of course he'd awake from this pretty soon so they had hardly time to clean everything before they left the room. Thalia started then to explain about school and Annabeth's first meeting with Luke after his party. To Percy's joy, Annabeth had punched him straight in the face as they met in the hall and after that Luke didn't come near her or school for the rest of the week. The teachers were all worried as they heard that Percy was missing for another week and somehow their English teacher, Mr. Blofis, got to know that his mother had died.

Thalia had paraphrased it a little but Percy still winced at the sudden pang of hurt in his chest. Annabeth hesitated but grabbed his hand on the table. Thalia looked for a moment distracted but she decided at the end to let it go without a comment for this time.

She continued that Mr. Blofis covered him up without telling his colleagues. He actually fudged Gabe's signature for an excuse note.

"What, seriously?" Percy said surprised and Nico nodded enthusiastically, "He said he met your mother before her cancer diagnostic and he owed her one."  
Percy smiled at little, somehow even now his mom helped him out.

"Okay I think this was everything," Thalia said, "Well maybe you want to know that our Dads asked if we want to come on Christmas Eve. Dad said there will be a great dinner and everything. I thought it would be a good idea."  
Percy raised his eyebrow. "What about Hera?"  
"Well, it's Christmas. Maybe she makes a break from being a stupid bitch for just one day and if not- I will need to accept it, somehow," she sighed.

He had to smile. This was probably the first Christmas with a real family for years and he was sure even if Hera is going to be a Grinch, it would be the best Christmas for him. He nodded at Thalia and she smiled back, looking relieved that he wouldn't start to isolate himself from them, but suddenly she looked rather uncomfortable, "Ehm Percy, I know you probably don't want to talk about this night. Oh quit giving me such a stare, Annabeth! Anyway the insurance would like to know how I got three shoot holes in my backlight."

He was afraid of this moment for a long time now. He had two options, lying to them like usual or telling them now everything about his well-kept job. How would they react if they know he had been a drug-dealer? Would they be angry, though he had quit the job? Would they be shocked and leave him?  
He glanced at Annabeth who was giving Thalia the evil eye. How would she react? Percy didn't want to lose her, she was the most important person in his life now and he knew he wouldn't stand it if she leaves him too. But what the hell is he going to tell them?

He sighed and made a decision, "I drove in this poorer part of the city and parked in front of a booze shop. I just stepped out of the car as some guys tried to rob me. I got away without a scratch but as I sped off, one of them shot at me from behind."  
Wow, this was the biggest lie, he had ever told them, but Nico and Thalia seemed to buy it all. Like usual Annabeth looked at him with a raised eyebrow but remained silence as Thalia thanked Percy and Nico asked for details how he got away from these guys.

He told him that he didn't want to talk about it yet and Nico nodded looking a little disappointed, though.

They spent the rest of the night talking and later on watching TV, until both Nico and Thalia decided to leave for bed. Annabeth and Percy were left alone in the living room but they didn't speak until Thalia's door was closed too.

"So…" Percy trailed off. He had no idea how to start a conversation like this. Annabeth looked at him waiting. She was definitely not going to make this easy for him.

"Thanks for kicking my lazy, depressed butt, I guess," he said after a while and Annabeth nodded, "Don't mention it. Thalia was as angry as I was, if I hadn't done it, she would have."  
"Glad you were faster then," Percy mumbled and Annabeth laughed her beautiful laugh which made him go all fuzzy and warm inside.

They silenced for a moment.

"About that what you said at the end of your -should I call it pep-talk?-…" he trailed off once again and Annabeth went slightly pink as she remembered her words about her loving him.

"Percy, I- You don't- Well-" she looked angry with herself because of her stuttering, "If you don't want to I can understand that completely, I mean look what happened to you in the last weeks. It's okay if you need time to decide."

"What do you mean with decide?"

Annabeth sighed uncomfortably, "Decide if you- you know…"  
"Decide if I love you?" Percy asked gently and Annabeth became a littler pinker.

She nodded.

"This is ridiculous," he said and Annabeth looked a little taken aback. "Of course I do love you."  
She took a sharp breath, before she started chuckling, "I'm glad to hear so. Because I do too and I would have looked pretty stupid if you said otherwise, now wouldn't I?"  
He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist, "You remember when that phone call interrupted us?"  
"Not really," she said with a smile playing on her lips.

"Should I refresh your memory, then?"  
"Would be the best, wouldn't it?" Her smile grew wider as Percy bent down and closed the gap between them. Her arms wrapped around his neck and they kept kissing softly until someone wolf-whistled behind them. As they broke apart, they saw Nico and Thalia in the door frame, smirking at the new couple.

"Ha told you so," Thalia said, turning to Nico, "You owe me twenty bucks, Nicki!"

"Gee, Percy, I thought after all what happened you would take some time to recover, get things straight, but no the first five minutes you get with her and you already make out," Nico looked at his older cousin sulkily as he handed Thalia a twenty-dollar bill.

Percy shrugged at him. "She seduced me."  
"Excuse me?" Annabeth said, glaring at Percy, "I didn't do anything."  
"Exactly," he sighed at pecked her lips.

Thalia looked grossed-out, "Is it now going to be permanent like this?"

"Oh definitely!" Annabeth and Percy said at the same point, smiling widely at each other.

**Yay, we hit the 200 and I helped somebody to get ten bucks! I love you guys for the reviews! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? Yes I finished the story (on word)! (*victory dance*) **

**And like the 100th (no idea who was it actually, anybody feel like counting?), the 200th reviewer can be happy…**

**P.S. Okay guys this chapter was up for half an hour and you start write to me like NOOOO THIS CANNOT BE THE END, that's because it isn't the end! Why do you think I put brackets with 'on word' behind the story. I finished WRITING it, but there are still 14 pages on word left, so chillax, I have still a few cliffhangers left for you!**


	23. Chapter 23

The day of Christmas Eve came so fast Percy didn't even noticed until Thalia announced happily that they would set off at exactly four o'clock so they would reach their father's manor at five. She smiled so brightly that Percy couldn't help but join.

The last days have been the best in his life. He, Thalia and Nico had become closer than ever before, yet Percy often needed some space for him alone. Sometimes his depressing feelings and the memory of his mother seemed to drown him again but he had a pretty could technique to not lose himself. What you may ask now? Easy: Annabeth. She was a lot here, not that she wasn't before, but it seemed to be longer these days. She comes early in the morning and does not leave until late in the evening, sometimes if her father was okay with it, she also slept at theirs but Mr. Chase was not very pleased by the thought having his sixteen-years-old daughter sleeping in the same apartment as her sixteen-years-old boyfriend with no adult watching over them but as Annabeth told him about Percy's last weeks, he suddenly did not to mind too much.

Percy thinks she enjoyed escaping from her home. How he got to know later, Mr. Chase had proposed to his girlfriend and they were now all busy planning their coming wedding. What Annabeth thinks about all of this, nobody asked but Percy. She always would sigh and tried to change topics. He knew it mattered to her a lot more than she would ever admit.

Besides that nothing was bothering Percy these days what was a complete new experience for him. Nobody asked about his mother or the night she died anymore but he could see that Annabeth knew he had been lying about the shoot holes in Thalia's car. She never asks, though.

"Percy?" Thalia snipped her fingers under his nose. He blinked confusedly as she pulled back on her seat rolling her eyes, "Thinking of someone particular?"

He smiled innocently back at her and this time both Nico and Thalia rolled their eyes simultaneously but soon they grinned again and talked about other random stuff while Percy had time to finish his breakfast before he joined their ridiculous conversation about salmon. He didn't quite know how but soon their topic was Christmas trees and Nico complained loudly why they didn't have one because he was used to have one as a child. Thalia rolled her eyes for the third time and Percy guessed they had this discussion also the last years but now since he moved here, Nico thought he had a new chance to finally have a Christmas tree. His eyes shined hopefully as he looked at Percy for back-up.

"Well I guess it's a nice idea," he said hesitantly, "Gabe was always too drunk to buy one."

Nico cheered as Thalia mumbled an annoyed, "Fine but you will come with me buying it and the decorations."

"Oh why are we cheering?" Annabeth's head appeared in the door frame. She doffed off her trench-coat and her white scarf, placing it in the closet to her left before she walked over to their table.

"We get a Christmas tree! High-five, Annie!" Nico high-fived Annabeth but as their hands touch, she seized his and gave him a murderous glare, "Do not call me Annie."  
She let go of his hand and Nico sulked as he rubbed his probably broken hand, "Yeah, I got that now."  
Thalia laughed as Annabeth kissed Percy briefly and sat down next to him. She nicked some toast from his plate and took a sip of orange juice out of his mug. He looked at her with a pout, "Don't steal my breakfast!"  
She kissed him again, "I am going to pay."

They smirked at each other while Thalia and Nico mimicked gagging in the background, but soon Percy's older cousin got up from her seat, sighing. She seized Nico's collar and pulled him on his feet too. "We go now and buy your stupid Christmas tree."

"Yay!" Nico cheered again as Thalia dragged him in the hall while Annabeth and Percy started to tidy up the kitchen but before they left she came back to say a brief goodbye.

"Going to see you later guys. We will open this door loudly when we come back so just you have time to put on your clo-"

"THALIA!" Annabeth shrieked and blushed furiously. She looked so shocked at her friend that Percy couldn't hold back a chuckle and kissed the side of her head.

Thalia smirked, "Whatever. We are going to be back in a few hours. Have fun and don't destroy anything."  
"Bye," Annabeth snapped and turned back to the dishwasher, placing the plates neatly inside while Percy waved at his cousin good-bye. The door in the hall slammed shut and Percy walked up behind Annabeth to wrap his arms tightly around her waist. She huffed.

"Why so snappy?" He chuckled in her hair.

"I'm not snappy!" She snapped at him and turned around so that they were facing. Percy chuckled again.

"And stop chuckling!" To emphasize her words she punched his shoulder and immediately her boyfriend stopped sniggering.

"Ouch! Why do you punch me? It's Thalia who said this stuff and you shouldn't be angry about that, anyway. She didn't mean it like that," he told her and Annabeth sighed as she dropped down on a chair running her hands through the curls.

"It's my dad," she mumbled and Percy felt suddenly sorry for her. "He's driving with his fiancée to her parents to celebrate Christmas there. I'm not invited."  
He pulled her into a tight hug and Annabeth buried her head in his chest, "I didn't want to go anyway."

"It's not right to ditch you for his fiancée. You two should get along and not avoid each other," Percy sighed wisely.

Annabeth nodded too depressed to tease him for saying one time something intelligent, "That's not just my fault, but at least I got to spend Christmas with you guys. You don't mind if I come with you to your Dads'?"

"Not at all," he kissed her forehead and Annabeth seemed to relax. He was glad that his career as a drug - dealer was over now and that he could finally be together with her. It would have been impossible to stay friends forever, especially the kiss would have made things awkward, but he also knew it was right to wait since now he didn't need to worry anymore that something might happen to her.

"I'm glad-"

But he never found out what she was glad about. A loud 'Baam' let them pull apart and suddenly there were strange voices in the hall who didn't bother to be quiet as one of the men cursed that he had broken his foot by breaking open this stupid door. Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand and they rushed to the kitchen window. He ripped it open and lifted a still confused Annabeth on the kitchen counter so she could climb out on the little edge.

"Are you crazy?" She hissed at him as Percy tried to make her move, "I am going to fall down."  
"No, I'm right behind you. I will look after you," he murmured and pressed his lips briefly against hers as he pushed her gently out of the window. Right at the moment as he could hear her whimper outside, the door of the living room burst open and three men walked in.

They all wore the same clothes, leather jackets with black jeans and sunglasses to cover their eyes. Their faces were almost similar, just the one on the left was slightly wider than his two friends and the man in the middle had a long scar running down his neck, but what Percy worried the most were the three guns, one in each of their hands and all barrels were pointing straight at his chest.

Smiles crossed their faces while they narrowed their eyes at him.

"Marry Christmas, m'boy," the man on the left said, shaking his gun, "We 'Ave a special present from our boss for you."

**Ugh to cut it here sucks but otherwise the chapter would be like six pages long *sigh*, BUT I found a website called ( ) and finally after years (okay maybe just a few hours) I have a rainbow cake receipt! *another-victory-dance* **

**Make this day perfect and REVIEW!**


	24. Chapter 24

_Right at the moment as he could hear her whimper outside, the door of the living room burst open and three men walked in. _

_They all wore the same clothes, leather jackets with black jeans and sunglasses to cover their eyes. Their faces were almost similar, just the one on the left was slightly wider than his two friends and the man in the middle had a long scar running down his neck, but what Percy worried the most were the three guns, one in each of their hands and all barrels were pointing straight at his chest._

_Smiles crossed their faces while they narrowed their eyes at him. _

"_Marry Christmas, m'boy," the man on the left said, shaking his gun, "We 'Ave a special present from our boss for you."_

He had a strange accent Percy couldn't put a finger on, but what was sure that these three worked for the man, who killed Joe. Anger filled him and he wished he could take revenge on this bastard for killing his former boss, but Percy's mind drifted too Annabeth who was waiting for him outside, probably freezing to death. This thought didn't help to focus much.

"So you belong to this asshole, killing my boss?" He asked slowly and backed off, fumble carefully for something he could distract them with, but he just felt the kitchen counter behind him.  
"Mhh, he doesn't like it to be called asshole but, yeah, I guess we are talking about the same person," the left man said with a familiar New Yorker accent.

His fingers brushed suddenly a frying pan and Percy grabbed it tightly without making any sound as he watched the free man smirking at him cruelly.

"And now we are here to kill you, m'boy. I hope you enjoyed life," he loaded the gun but before one of them could fire Percy through the with dishwater filled frying pan at the man in the middle who was immediately knocked out. Without looking at them again, he jumped on the kitchen counter and climbed through the window, almost falling down on the pavement at least sixty feet below him.

But he clenched a flagpole to keep him in balance before he started to move, pressed with his whole body against the wall. He heard the men shouting in the living room and probably coming after him. He didn't dare himself to look if they were really coming, though. He climbed around a corner and saw finally the fire escape with Annabeth standing on it, looking at him with relief and shock. He tried to hurry up and finally made it but as his feet touched the metal of the fire escape's stairs, bullets filled the air around the young couple and Percy had no time to enjoy his success. He seized Annabeth's hand and pulled her along down the stairs while the killers tried to climb along the wall as well. They rushed down, jumping down some stairs and crossing windows with shock renters who looked at them wide-eyed.

As they reached the ground another salve of bullets was shot at them from somewhere above and Percy pushed Annabeth in front of him so she wouldn't get hurt, she struggled, of course, but there was no time for an argument. They dashed to the pavement, where they could disappear among the crowd and they replaced their sprinting with a fast walk.

"Who are these guys? And why did they try to kill you? What did you keep from us?" Annabeth sounded rather furious than shocked but Percy knew she was a good actor.

"This is not the place and most certainly not the time, for an explanation," he told her and dragged her around another corner.

"What?! We almost got killed and you still don't want to explain?" But before she could yell something else Percy had called for a cap and one with a Russian looking driver stopped immediately in front of them.

Without looking back, he opened the door and pushed Annabeth inside before getting in the cab himself. The driver grunted an 'ello and asked for their destination.

"Ehm-" Percy thought for a moment, "Hilther Woods, Long Island."

The driver smiled probably because of the money he was going to make so he set off in the traffic. Percy tried to imagine his face when he got to know that neither Annabeth nor he had any money with them.

"Well?" Annabeth crossed her eyes and looked at her boyfriend impatient, "Is now the time for an explanation?"

The driver grunted again and his eyes glanced at Percy in the rear mirror, "Your girlfriend?"

A little annoyed by the behavior of his taxi driver, he nodded before turning back to Annabeth who was rolling her eyes, "It's time for an explanation, but definitely not the place."

She huffed as respond.

Suddenly he realized what would come next. For weeks now he tried to avoid and in the last few days his hopes had grown that he would never have to do it but the time has come to explain Annabeth without frightening her that Percy was a drug-dealer.

The taxi driver wasn't angry, he was furious as Annabeth and Percy started to sprint away from the cab in the moment they got off. He yelled and waved his fists behind them as they disappeared in the forest. Percy didn't stop running, he knew exactly where to go but Annabeth behind him kept asking where he was heading and if he can finally explain what had happened in the apartment, but he couldn't. He needed a quiet, familiar place.

And after an hour they reached this place.

Percy had never been here in winter but it still had a calming effect on him. The waves crashed on the shore and a little, lonely cabin stood on a sand dune while the wind swirled snowflakes from the roof of it. He enjoyed this view with a bittersweet feeling. The last time he had been here was with his mother before her cancer was diagnosed. They were used to spend vacation at this cabin since there wasn't much money with Gabe as his father.

"Where are we?" Annabeth asked and clenched Percy's hand.

"Montauk," he whispered, enjoying the sea breeze playing with his hair.

They walked along the little path before Percy opened the rusty door and entered the cabin. It was like last time he's been here. A little, dirty cabin with one double bed and a bunk bed. Everywhere you could see spider webs, what made Annabeth shiver behind him, but suddenly she gasped and walked up to an old blackboard. On it there was a picture of a little boy, Percy knew too well.

"Why is here a photo of you?" Annabeth picked it up and gave it a closer look. With the jet-black mess as hair and sea-green eyes, it had to be Percy who was sitting on the shore smiling up to the one who's taking the picture.

Percy walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist so that she leant back in his chest.

"You were such a cute baby," she smiled.

He couldn't smile. Now the point had come where he must explain to Annabeth what just had happened and why guys tried to kill him, and also how he did know that Luke would spike her drink with roofies. His stomach knotted together as he thought about her reaction. Would she storm out of the cabin, leaving him forever? Probably. Who wants to be the girlfriend of a drug-dealer?

"Annabeth," he whispered and his heart started to beat faster.

She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, still smiling, "What?"

"About what happened…" he let go of her and walked to a window. Staring outside, he began to tell, and this time, everything. He didn't dare to face her, to see the disappointment and shock in her beautiful gray eyes so he kept his gaze glued to the ocean and how the waves crashed down on the shore, again and again.

As he finally stopped, he couldn't look in her eyes. He couldn't even look in his own eyes. He felt filthy and dirty. Not even worthy her pure presence, so they stayed silent for an endless time. He waited for the door being slammed, maybe a scream and insults in his direction but she didn't speak, good possible that she was too scared.

"Oh, Percy," Annabeth whispered gently. He could hear her move, probably for the cabin door but suddenly he was turned around by somebody gripping the collar of his T-shirt and soft lips pressed against his.

Warmth filled his body and he couldn't believe that she was kissing him after she heard that he was a freaking drug-dealer for years but he wasn't thick enough to stop the kiss, instead he just pulled her closer, longing for her touch.

At some point she broke away, "I can't believe you did this for your mom."

"I can't believe you would kiss me after I told you what I've done," he breathed. Their noses were just a few inches apart and he could feel her chest lifting and sinking against his.

"Why shouldn't I?" She answered and briefly brushed her lips against his again. "You didn't do this because of the money or for drugs, but you did it for your mother and not everybody would have acted like you did."  
"I thought you'd run away from me."  
"Never. How could anybody be afraid of you?" She whispered and this time Percy kissed her, not gentle like usual but passionate until they landed on the bed together. Dust is twirling out of the mattress and the old wood giving an awful creak.

Time passed and they kept kissing until suddenly 'Boulvard of Broken Dreams' started to play and Annabeth gave a slight push against Percy's chest to get him off her. She fiddled the phone out of her jeans while her boyfriend sighed, gazing at the ceiling.

"When did you change my ring tone?" Annabeth asked as she pressed the connect button on the phone.

Thalia's voice was a high-pitched scream and Percy shot up from his spot, grabbed the phone and put it on loudspeaker as Nico's voice mixed in his cousin's screaming. Thousands of thoughts crossed his mind, but as he heard that Thalia wasn't yelling in pain, that she was actually screaming furiously about the shoot holes in her kitchen, he calmed down a little. For a moment he had seriously reckoned that the men had kidnapped both of them to blackmail Percy.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY ARE THERE FUCKING SHOOT HOLES IN MY DAMMED KITCHEN!?" They let her scream until there was only hard breathing on the other end of the line and Annabeth started to explain where there were. Nevertheless she changed the reason behind the killers' actions to being burglars.

"Oh dear god," Thalia said and suddenly she sounded guilty, "I just was- I'm sorry. Are you okay?"  
They both sighed relieved, "Of course we are okay."  
"Are you driving to our Dad's then?" Nico asked from somewhere in the background.

Annabeth faced Percy curiously. Would these gangsters be able to locate him in his father's house? There was no way in that. Percy himself just knew it for one week and the lot was somewhere on the shore in New Jersey. It was far safer than staying here in New York, so Percy nodded at his girlfriend slowly.

She looked happy, probably because she hated spiders and this cabin was full of them, "Okay, Thals we-ehm- can you pick us up?"  
Like Annabeth, Percy had totally forgotten that they didn't have any car.

Thalia sounded somehow annoyed, "Fine, where are you exactly?"

It took another fifteen minutes for Thalia to figure out that she couldn't figure out where they were on Long Island and for Nico to yell at her: "Just take a damned satnav!" Everybody agreed on that and Percy's cousins hung up as they started the engine. The cabin fell silent again and Annabeth fell back on the bed, pressing her hands against her eyes. A groan escaped her mouth, "We are doomed!"

Percy lay down next to her, "We got away, didn't we?"  
Annabeth looked at him, "And where Percy are you going to live? 'Cause if you haven't noticed they know where you live and where Thalia and Nico live, too."

He silenced and gazed at the ceiling, like he could find the answer to all his problems up there, "Yes, we are doomed."

**I'm in a good mood so I made it long :)**

**Tomorrow is the release date for The Demigod Dairies and I just checked when I will get my copy on Amazon. Probably it comes on Saturday the 18th, Percy's birthday, but I still wished it would be here by tomorrow :( WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE IN GERMANY?**

**Now my good mood is gone maybe you can rescue it with a review?**


	25. Chapter 25

But before Percy could explain the real story and the real reason why three men tried to kill him, Thalia had thrown herself in his arms, saying sorry for being an idiot. Usually she was stubborn like Annabeth, and Percy was completely out of concept to repeat anything until she pulled away and took a deep breath, "But don't you dare to do such a shit again! Ugh, you're so annoying."

Nico just gave him a short man-hug before he walked back to the car, "Let's hurry up, we are already late."  
They all nodded and while Thalia drove, Annabeth and Percy settled down in the back to have a silent conversation about telling the two cousins from the attack or not. At the end, Percy won (which was quite surprising for him) and they decided to explain tomorrow, after Christmas lunch.

Percy was nervous to see his Dad again, they haven't spoken since their first meeting and Poseidon didn't even know that Sally died, much less that his son had depression afterwards. Percy hoped it would stay like this. He had no idea how to start a conversation about such a subject and secretly he didn't want to start it either. It was Christmas after all and he just wanted to enjoy these days for the first time in his life with his family, but he knew he couldn't keep it as a secret forever. Some day, he needed to tell him, just not now. Poseidon didn't ask for Sally last time maybe he didn't want to know about her at all.

Nico suddenly turned the radio volume to maximum and begun to sing along with Jingle Bells. Soon the whole car was singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs and they reached the Manor of their fathers with big smiles.

Even Hera couldn't ruin their mood as she led them into the dinning room. It was the biggest room, Percy has seen in the manor till now. Last time they've eaten in the kitchen but the Christmas meal was served on a giant mahogany-table placed in the middle of the room. On the left wall was a fireplace and right next to it, in a corner stood a Christmas tree that could easily compete with the one in front of the Rockefeller Center. Three men were currently decorating it with lights and ornaments **(in my dictionary they called them 'Christmas glitter balls', yes that's right '**_**Christmas glitter balls**_**'… Thanks to nerdygangsta for telling me the real term) **and all of them were wearing sweaters with Christmas themes.

As they recognized the arrival of their children, they started to smile brightly and waved at them. Soon the four were helping with the decorating.

Percy had never experienced something like that. Even in the days his mother was still healthy, with Gabe around the two of them were forced to celebrate Christmas in Percy's room with a cheap and small but delicious food and blue cookies. Sally never was allowed to buy a Christmas tree but sometimes, she would buy a really small one for her money, so they could place it on Percy's desk without any decoration.

Percy gaped up the tree as they were finished. It glittered in green and red while the little lights dyed the whole room in a honey-colored yellow and the bottom around the tree was filled with presents.

Uh-uh, Percy had all his presents back in their apartment. After his flight with Annabeth there wasn't any time left to get them and actually they hadn't planned to stay here for the night either, anyway.

"No problem, Perce," Nico put a hand on his cousin's shoulder as he tried to get rid of the tinsel in his hair, "We grabbed all the present from under your bed. And the one from your dresser."  
Nico winked before he handed him a small box wrapped with dark blue wrapping paper and Percy let out a breath in relief as the two of them sat down in front of the chimney where a few armchairs and a couch stood. He fell in a seat close to their fathers who were in a deep conversation with Thalia, talking about the burglars. Percy shifted uncomfortably as Annabeth sat down on his armrest, running her fingers through his hair.

"You are okay?" She asked.

"Fine," he had to smile, "Best Christmas ever."  
"Not very difficult to top Gabe's performances, I guess," she chuckled and Percy's heart felt suddenly very light. He leaned his head against her side.

"Don't worry about - ehm- our problems tonight. Just enjoy Christmas this year, you deserved it," she said and continued running her hand through his hair.

"I try," Percy mumbled as both of them suddenly noticed how the conversation between Nico, Thalia and their fathers had stopped and all of them were watching Annabeth and Percy with great interest.

"I knew it," Poseidon smiled, "Nobody can resist our charm."  
Everybody but Percy snorted at that comment.

"Hey!" His father crossed his arms. "Whatever, how long are you dating?"  
"Ehm not long," Percy said uncertain. He looked at Annabeth pleading and she agreed sighing, "We started dating a few days after he met you, sir."

"Oh quit the formal tone, Annabeth," Poseidon smiled even brighter as he held out his hand, "Poseidon."  
Annabeth shook his hand with a small smile and Percy beamed at his girlfriend. He was kind of nervous about explaining Poseidon that they were dating but it was easier than he thought especially if you let Annabeth talk, then nothing could go wrong.

"And Annabeth if you feel more comfortable, you can always sit on Percy's lap. We don't mind."  
"Dad," Percy groaned as he and his girlfriend blushed furiously.

"Now you are acting like that! Yesterday evening you didn't let Annabeth sit somewhere _else_ than your lap," Nico said pointing at him like he charged him as guilty.

"Nico!" Annabeth and he said at the same moment, glaring dagger at the black-haired boy who suddenly seemed to wish he had shut up.

"You're just jealous because Rachel Dare doesn't want to sit on _your_ lap," Annabeth snapped back at him and like vultures the three brothers and Thalia came at him, asking about Rachel Dare, a friend from school. It didn't help much that Nico blushed, even though Percy knew he doesn't see anything more than a friend in Rachel.

"Good move," Percy whispered in Annabeth's ear, "What about a short stroll through the garden? I have something for you."  
She nodded and while the others were still trying to get information out of Nico, they slipped through the glass doors outside in the cold winter air. Percy recognized the fountain at once. Now in winter it was covered in snow and the water was freezing but it still looked fabulous in the light of the few garden lights. You could see empty flower beds surrounding a marble pavilion and behind it the forest started.

Together they strolled away from the high dining room windows and headed to the pavilion which Annabeth admired next to Percy by starting to explain how to build one. He tried to listen but he couldn't, it was too complicated to understand for him and so he just watched Annabeth's eyes sparkling with excitement until they stood in the middle of the pavilion.

"Okay, you probably didn't understand anything about what I've said, now did you?" She asked with a smile playing on her lips.

"You know me too well but I was here to give you your Christmas present, anyway," he started to fish for the box as she raised her hand. "No, just wait then. I want to get mine too."

Before Percy could protest she disappeared back in the dark and he had to stare behind her. How in this world did he manage to get such a goddess of a girl? She didn't even care that he was a drug-dealer which would have at least all other girls from his school made screaming and leaving the cabin in the next moment but she stayed. She even kissed him and he knows she is going to help him with all his problems. He owed her a lot.

A sudden noise from the forest made him turn around. He could've sworn that he heard branches breaking but the trees remained silent as he slowly approached the end of the pavilion. Between the trunks there was nothing but darkness and he couldn't hear a single sound now, but before he could get a closer look, Annabeth appeared behind him, in her hand a little parcel wrapped in bright red wrapping.

"Can-" she stopped in mid-sentence as Percy jumped a little by her voice, "Is something wrong?"  
"No, probably just a little startled from the morning," he mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed as he thought how crazy it was that he heard noises from a _forest_. It was probably some kind of animal.

Annabeth shrugged it off and handed Percy the parcel she was carrying with her, "Merry Christmas Seaweed Brain."  
He stared at the present for a moment. Never in his life before he got something for Christmas. His mother didn't have enough money and you could think about Gabe's jolly holiday spirits for yourself. It didn't occur to him that this year was the first time he would finally be able to celebrate a real Christmas with fir trees, decorations, his father, his friends and presents.

"Do you want to open it or is it enough for you to stare at it forever?" Annabeth asked and looked at her boyfriend with a smug expression.

He shook his head slightly before he started to rip away the paper and revealed a small, leather-bound book. It wasn't heavy and not bigger than a notebook but the papers inside looked old-fashioned. He opened the first page and saw his own face smiling up at him. Next to him was his mother in her clinic bed, she too was smiling. He remembered that Thalia took that picture months ago, because Sally had pleaded Percy for a photo she could show around to her friends. He couldn't refuse when she gave him the puppy-eyed look, he had inherited from her. It was in spring and outside her window you could see two birds sitting on a branch of the big buckeye, which started to become green again.

He didn't even notice how a tear escaped his eye until Annabeth wiped it away with one of her fingers, "I'm sorry-"  
"No. Don't even start thinking this. I love it," he was still staring at the picture as Annabeth smiled even brighter, "Look at the end, maybe this cheers you up a little."  
He let the sides slip through his fingers and saw photos of his mother, his grandparents and again several baby pictures of him. It dawned on him that Annabeth probably got the photos out of the box they found in Gabe's apartment and Percy was glad she made that album because he doubted that he had been able to do something like that without bursting out in tears and curl-up on the floor again.

At the end suddenly appeared newish photos with Thalia, Nico and him on it. Like usual they were all stretched out on the couches in their living room, the light of the TV reflecting on their faces, but as he turned the page, he saw a photo of the three of them in Central Park a few months ago. The trees behind them started to turn yellow and red while the pedestrians were clothed in between-seasons wear.

Annabeth had taken the picture back then. Did she plan this since fall? The next photo was of the four of them in school. Rachel had talked Nico into decorating the gym for the winter's ball for the freshmen. Of course he dragged them into this too and while they were decorating some people from the yearbook committee had taken pictures, obviously. Nico was standing on a ladder, like Percy and they tried to pin up a big 'Winter Ball 2012'- banner above a basketball hoop. Annabeth and Thalia were holding onto the ladders to prevent them from sliding away but they had fun in shaking them to annoy Percy and Nico, which worked, by the way, pretty well. In the picture on the next side you could see the result of their actions. Nico had been landing on Annabeth's rear and Percy sat, rubbing his head, on Thalia who seemed to be insulting her cousin from the bottom of her heart. They were all grinning or laughing, though.

"I got them for free from Luke, his half-brother Connor had taken them and after I punched him, he became very kind to me," Annabeth smiled devilishly at him and Percy just had to wrap an arm around her shoulder pulling her in his side while he kissed the top of her head.

She started to turn around several pages before she stopped at a photo of the two of them. They were just dating for a merely a week so Percy never thought that there would be pictures of them as a couple but the fact is there were.

He didn't know Thalia took a photo as he and Annabeth had been kissing in the living room after he was forced out of his depression. They stood there arms wrapped around each other and kissing gently. Percy's face became a little hot as he thought about Poseidon seeing this picture.

There were two others of Annabeth and Percy. One as they were sleeping, snuggled up on the couch and on the other one he stood behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and his head leaning against hers. This one, he actually knew. Annabeth let Thalia take it with her cell phone as a background for her laptop, he didn't even guess that she was making an album for him. Suddenly he felt the box inside of his pocket becoming heavy.

His girlfriend had put a lot of work and thoughts into her present, and he?

"Nico took the one on the couch for me," Annabeth breathed against his neck as she snuggled closer to his side because of the sudden wind. "I hope you do not mind."  
Percy shook his head and closed the book. He pressed his lips against her jaw again. "Thank you. This is the best present somebody could have got me."  
She smiled brightly at him and he could see how much she enjoyed giving him and making him this present. "You're welcome, Seaweed Brain."  
"My turn," he said and pulled out the blue wrapped box. He handed it to her and Annabeth unwrapped it with numb fingers. Outside of the pavilion it started snowing again and the temperature kept falling. To warm her a little, Percy started to rub her arm.

She suddenly gaped as she opened the lid of the jewelry box and stroke over the cold metal of the necklace. "It's beautiful, where did you get it?"  
He smiled, satisfied with her reaction, "Nico and I were driving through town, searching for presents as we passed this garage sale. I saw the necklace and just needed to stop."  
"Can you help me put it on?" she placed it around her neck and let Percy fiddle with the clasp. As he finally succeeded, the pendant fell loose and with trembling fingers she stroke over the small owl. "It's exactly like my mother's."

Percy almost didn't hear what she said since it was barely a whisper. He did know that it was the same pendant like her mother's but he learned that after he bought the necklace. He was at Annabeth's to pick her up and on her desk stood a picture of her mother. He hoped she wouldn't notice but now it seemed stupid to think so.

"I-" he was about to apologize as she pressed her lips on his and wrapped her arms around his neck. He didn't complain, he just pulled her tighter as he kissed her back. The cold seemed to disappear from his body and a bubbling, warm feeling replaced it. They stood there for a while until a new cold gust made Annabeth pull away. "Let's go inside. I'm freezing here to death."  
He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders again while she placed her arms around his waist. Together they strolled back through the garden into the living room.

**That's a looooooong one and it's even the second update today, you lucky people. **

**I'm back on a PJO trip which totally sucks because I just started writing a HP-fic and now dozen ideas for MoA are in my mind since I browsed through Uncle Rick's blog and read some comments on Amazon, all guessing widely what is about to happen. One girl even said Athena said something to Annabeth like "Come, avenge me."**

**I have a good idea what she wants to say with that…**


	26. Chapter 26

Inside everybody sat already at the table, even Hera, but from her spot next to Zeus, she kept glaring at Thalia. Poseidon beamed a little at them as they sat down next to Nico.

"Well since everybody is here now, I'd like to announce something," Zeus stood up from his chair and glanced, smiling at his wife. "We are getting a baby!"

Poseidon and Hades jumped to their feet and congratulated their brother and Hera, while Nico, Annabeth and Percy looked at Thalia who was gripping her fork and knife tightly but she smiled at her father like she was happy for him.

"I think she cares more than she says," Annabeth whispered in Percy's ear.

He thought that everybody would care after what Hera said. This baby is a replacement for Thalia, so that her father could love at least one of his children. Zeus wasn't heartless. Percy knew he loved Thalia but he knew also that his cousin had hurt him a lot by her behavior. She was used to complain about her family whenever she could and didn't even stop on family celebrations.

"Okay," Zeus smiled brightly and his eyes gleamed warmly, "Let's start."

Walter nodded and headed through the kitchen door to serve the dinner together with the cook. The jolly mood came back and everyone at the table started to talk to their neighbors. Nico and Percy started a deep conversation about their favorite TV show while Thalia and Annabeth talked about Percy's present for her until there was suddenly a thud and all heads turned to the door leading into the kitchen. A silence fell over the room as they waited for another noise but there weren't any noises at all.

"Walter?" Hades shouted carefully but it stayed silent in the kitchen.

Percy and Annabeth interlaced their hands under the table nervously while Nico and Thalia exchanged looks. The three brothers got to their feet and were about to move as the door swung open. A tall man with a leather jacket, black jeans and sunglasses walked out of the kitchen but he wasn't carrying food instead in his right hand he held a gun, pointing at Percy.

**WHAAAAAT? Oh man I really shouldn't cut my stories after 10 pm… Sorry, but the next chapter is the end and I want it to be looooooooong. **

**And guess what, there is an epilogue! BUT I decided I just give it to the 100th reviewer (Child of Athens), the 200th (annabethrules120) and the one of you who has reviewed most often (The final count will be tomorrow at 9 o'clock (German time)). Of course if they don't want the epilogue, I will give it to the 101st resp. 201st reviewer. So the two of you I already named, leave a review or send me a PM if you want to have the epilogue. **

**P.S. I swear on the river Styx if anyone says something about the demigod dairies in a review or PM, I won't update the end of this story! I'm serious!**

**P.P.S. **

**ChildofTitans310: Nico is sixteen or fifteen. In my story he's the youngest of the cousins too.**

**PJO rulz: Gods I have so many bad idea what's going to happen in MoA and also good theories about Sammy/Leo and the Lovetriangle of Jason, Piper and Reyna. The whole morning I spend writing one-shots about MoA … but back to your question: I don't want to explain my whole idea now, let's just say Percabeth is going to suffer. A lot.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Dun, dun, dun! This is it, the final chapter! And I know I' m sooooooooooo mean because of this epilogue-thingy but I stay with my decision. **

**Here are the people who will get my epilogue:**

**Child of Athens** (100th reviewer)

**annabethrules120** (200th reviewer) **You have no account so I cannot put the epilogue in a PM… Do you have any other options, how I can send it to you?**

**no-percabeth-is-no-life** (301st reviewer)

**Pokemonchen** (most often reviewed)

"Thought you'd get away, boy?" The guy smirked at Percy who was gazing back at him.

How the hell did they find them here? After he and Annabeth fled out of the apartment they haven't seen them and it was impossible to follow the taxi all the way to Long Island and then-

"You followed Thalia and Nico, didn't you?" Percy mouth became dry as he said these words.

"You aren't that stupid, I have to admit." The man stepped closer to the table without stopping to look at his target, "But you won't be able to get away now, little drug-dealer."

Percy glanced at the rest of the people at the table. Nico and Thalia looked shocked about the word drug-dealer but they probably made the connection between the shoot holes in their kitchen and the man with the gun. The adults looked confused and even Hera had a look of worry on her face. He didn't dare to look at Annabeth so he just squeezed her hand under the table surface.

"Let's make a deal," Percy said suddenly.

The man raised an eyebrow, "I will kill you. No matter what. A few friends of mine are checking all exits."  
"I know this," Percy couldn't resist rolling his eyes, "But promise me you won't hurt any of them, and I will let you kill me without any struggling."

"Percy!" Annabeth looked at him shocked but he ignored it. He knew what he was doing.

"Mmh," the man scratched his chin with the gun, "No struggling, huh? Would make things easier. A lot of easier."

"So we have a deal?"

"Percy," Poseidon looked at his son blankly. He didn't understand why there were people who want to kill him and why they called him a drug-dealer.

"Deal. Do you have any last wishes?" The man asked and the smirk was back on his face.

Percy nodded, "I want to explain to them and you are not killing me here. You and your 'friends' are going to bring me far away from here. I don't care where, just far away."

The man sighed like Percy was a buzzkill, "Okay, you have five minutes."

He leant against the wall, stroking his gun while Percy started to tell them everything. He focused at Thalia and Nico as he explained about his career and about the night his mother died. They didn't look scared, juts shocked and confused. After he finished the room was silent for a moment.

"Percy, you are too nice for this earth," Thalia said and tears were in her eyes.

Nico blinked, keeping his tears from falling, "That doesn't mean, you need to kill yourself."

"Hey, I'm doing the work after all!" The man yelled from his spot next to the door. Nico, Thalia and Annabeth glared at him, "SHUT UP!"

"Percy, this is ridiculous! You can't- don't get yourself-." Percy has never seen Annabeth cry until now, whenever she was scared or depressed she would get angry or just sad. She never cried and Percy had been grateful for that, because it pained him to see her like that. It felt like somebody ripped out his heart as he looked at her gray eyes swimming in puddles of tears.

"Maybe we can give him more money than his boss and-" Poseidon started but the killer sniggered and Percy knew it was useless too. The guy was angry that he had escaped and wanted to finish off the job.

"Dad, thanks, but it's hopeless. I'm sorry."

Annabeth winced and tried to suppress a sob but it escaped her throat, anyway, "You can't give up like that-"

"I don't give up. I just don't want any of you to be killed because of me." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and Annabeth started to sob uncontrollably in his shoulder while even Hera seemed to blink away tears. Poseidon looked depressed and gazed at the table surface while Nico and Thalia were crying now openly. Hades and Zeus looked at their nephew shocked and Percy kept murmuring reassuring words in Annabeth's hair. She gripped his T-shirt tightly and tried to stop crying but new tears ran over her cheeks.

"Heartbreaking, really," the killer said and pushed himself off the wall to walk in front of the table, "But time is running, if you want to keep your family alive, you should get finished."  
Percy nodded and untangled himself from Annabeth who was still crying silently. He smiled at her a weak smile and she released a new sob as he gave her kiss on her head, "I love you."

Her sobbing was now loud again and Percy had to turn away before he would wrap his arms around her again. His killer gave a little bow as he grabbed Percy's shoulder with a tight grip and leaded him towards the kitchen door. Percy forced himself to look straight forward so he wouldn't give in to run away, screaming for help.

"Open the door, m'boy," the man said behind him and Percy grabbed the door handle but as he closed his hand around the metal, his killer tripped over something and fell to the floor, pulling Percy also down.

"Oh my god, Hera!" Thalia said excitedly while Nico rushed forward and helped Percy to get up again. He ran a hand through his hair and looked confusedly down at the man. In his rear stuck a large kitchen knife.

His jaw dropped and Percy looked up to Hera who still stood behind the table her arms trembling. Thalia looked gleeful at her step-mother unlike her father who gazed at his wife with an opened mouth just like his two brothers. Annabeth stared at the man on the floor and as blood started to spill out of the wound, she didn't look sad about his death.

"Hera, you- you killed him," Zeus stammered and Thalia jumped to her feet smiling, "Brilliant!"

"Thalia," Hades scolded but Annabeth was on her feet now, smiling as brightly as Thalia, "Oh come on, Hades, he deserved it."  
She rushed to Percy and threw her arms around his necks while she pressed her lips on his. He would have enjoyed it more, if it wasn't for the body next to his feet. He pulled away and looked at Hera who still stood there motionless. She gazed at Percy's killer with a hateful expression.

"As much as I dislike them, Annabeth and Thalia are right. This asshole deserved it," she snapped, "Nobody threatens my family!"  
Thalia started to laugh and tackled her stepmother with a hug, "Thank you, Hera! I knew you weren't that much of a bitch."  
Hera cracked a small smile and patted Thalia's back awkwardly, "You're welcome, I guess."

Poseidon fell into his chair, "We just committed a murder."  
"It was self-defense!" Annabeth replied and wrapped her arms around Percy's waist. He still looked pale as he looked down on the body but pulled her tighter with his arm around her shoulders, anyway.

"Damn good self-defense," Thalia smiled, "I couldn't have thrown the knife better."  
"Right you are," Zeus smirked but before he could continue the door to the garden opened and the other man from this morning came in together with three others who panted heavily, probably they had to run around the building.

"Crap!" The one in the front yelled as he saw his friend's corpse on the parquet floor. He looked at Percy and Annabeth and pointed his gun at them. Percy reacted immediately and pushed Annabeth to the side as two bullets drilled in the floor. He stepped in front of her, while the others got up from their chairs around the table.

The men glared at all of them as the front man pointed his gun at Percy, "You. Are. Dead."  
But as he was about to shoot Annabeth moved in front of Percy holding up the gun of the dead killer. She didn't hesitate as she shot him right in his chest. Without watching how the guy fell on the floor and before he could fall in a stiffness, Percy grabbed his girlfriend and dived with her under the table while bullets hit the table surface. He saw his whole family stumbling under the table too.

As the room suddenly fell silent, Percy dared to look back and watch how the men stood next to their friend, whispering urgently. He turned to the scared faces and Nico mouthed, "What now?", But Percy had no idea.

"Annabeth," Poseidon whispered. Percy looked at his dad, if he was going to thank Annabeth now- "Give me the gun."  
"What are you going to do?" Annabeth hissed nervously back but she handed it to Poseidon anyway.

"I'm going to talk to them."  
"Dad!" But before Percy could seize his father's arm, Poseidon got to his feet. From their place under the table, they could see how he lifted his arms.

"I'm ready to pay you," he said in a loud and confident voice. Percy groaned quietly, what did Poseidon think? These men just lost two of their friends, they didn't care for money.

"We are listing."

Huh, maybe they are as heartless as their boss.

Annabeth looked worried and Thalia was chewing her nails while Zeus and Hades were ready to pass out. Nico and Hera watched what happened closely.

Poseidon walked to the front and pulled something out of his pocket, "I give you twice as much as you get from your current boss, if you leave this house afterwards."

They couldn't see their faces but Percy knew they weren't smiling.

"This would be five hundred thousand," one of them said and you could see Poseidon shrug, "Fine."  
He started to scribble and ripped out the check. He reached out his arm so the killers could take it, but they didn't. Everything was still. "We don't want your money. We just need the boy and the girl." A shot and Poseidon fell to the floor. The others started to panic. Had Percy now lost his father _and_ his mother? He watched his father on the floor and assessed relieved, that he was shot in the arm, what gave them some time.

"What now?" Hera's voice was high-pitched and shook. Nobody gave an answer. Fact was nobody had an idea how to get away. There were still four killers, all armed with guns and they had no sense of mercy. They would kill each person who stood between them and Percy, so naturally Percy crawled out of his hiding place to just let this carnage end, but Annabeth grabbed his arm and Thalia pressed him flat on the floor while Nico pointed at Poseidon. His father had pulled out the gun from his pocket and just as Percy had realized so, Poseidon shot the man who was about to kneel down in front of the table. The gun slithered over the floor and Percy grabbed it immediately, crawling to the end of the table. The three other men had lifted their arms to shoot his father but he was faster. He shot the first two in the legs and the third in his arm. They all fell to the ground and Percy stood up. He walked to the two who were clutching their legs and grabbed the gun of the first one but as he turned to the second, the man on the floor shot himself.

Blood splattered everywhere and Percy could feel the warm liquid dripping from his face as he turned his head away and vomited right in a flower vase. He shivered, wiped his mouth and crawled exhausted to his father. The third man, with the wound on his arm, had passed out -thank god.

Poseidon was clutching his arm as he smiled weakly at his son, "I'm proud of you."

Percy ripped fabric of his shirt and wrapped it tightly around the bleeding, "Why?"  
"Because you would have died for your family and girlfriend. You are just like your mother," Poseidon smiled but the last bit of color disappeared from Percy's face, "Dad…"  
"I know," his father whispered and he looked like he was about to pass out from the sudden lost of blood, "It's alright, I know. She was a great woman."  
His eyes closed and Percy started to panic, he needed to call the ambulance as suddenly someone kneeled beside him. Like she had read his thoughts she said, "Hera has been phoning them already."  
She turned to him and started to wipe the blood off his face. Her fingers on his skin felt like heaven and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a minute. As he opened them again, Thalia and Nico were sitting together with their fathers across from them, looking at Poseidon. He smiled at all of them while Hera came back in the room falling down next to her husband, "Police and ambulance are coming. I asked what to do but they said Percy did it right and as I described the wound, they said he's going to be okay."

She looked at Percy who smiled grateful back whispering a small 'Thank-you' and they fell silent until the noises of sirens broke it. The police stormed in, right behind them paramedics who rushed immediately to Poseidon. They lifted him on a stretcher and hurried outside while the police started to interview his brothers and Hera.

The four teenagers looked at the bodies, before they turned their gaze away in disgust. Nico patted Percy's back, "It's over. The police will take care of this boss who killed Joe."  
He nodded but didn't mean it. It just didn't feel over. It felt like it just will go on and on forever and if he will leave this house, there would be another dozen of killers, trying to kill his family and him.

But Nico should be proved right at the end, at this point, even though Percy didn't know it, it was over.

"I think after the holidays, we need to go and find another apartment," Thalia sighed.

Nico's face suddenly lights up. "This time with four bedrooms. I need a hobby room!"

They started to argue as Annabeth wrapped her arms around Percy's waist, pulling him in a tight hug. He pulled her closer with his arms around her shoulders. He tried to block the world out for a moment by burying his head in Annabeth's hair.

"Seaweed Brain?" She whispered in his ear.

"Hm?" He answered, his eyes still closed tightly.

"I love you too."

It was this moment as Percy started to believe that everything is going to be alright.

***wipes tear away* Thank you guys. For everything, for your reviews, for your PMs, for your favoriting and following this story. It's you who made me finish this story. Without your support I've never gotten this thing done. I enjoyed writing this like I've never enjoyed writing before. It's the very first story I'm really proud of actually. I think my writing has become a way better since A godly Christmas Carol (my first story). **

**I love you all, some of your reviews touched me so much, like when you said you were crying as Sally died and also as you wrote to stop my stupid cliffhangers (I never will stop with those again. They are awesome. I can almost understand Uncle Rick. Almost…). **

**What I gonna do next, I dunno. Maybe some kind of drabble with MoA-Scenes or maybe even a new AU story but it's to 99% a PJO story because I just can't concentrate on Harry Potter anymore. The Demigod Dairies and the close release of MoA just made me obsessed again. *Sigh* It's a doom-loop. Just check my profile at some point. **

**Thank you, guys!**


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